The Assassin's Revenge: ExT3rminate
by SharkAttack719
Summary: <html><head></head>ExT3rminate. As a Special Operations Force officer 3 years out of training, Percy prepares for a life full of revenge and redemption. But after the SOF is nearly wiped out, and 5000 of the Border Guards on the western front are slaughtered, tensions between mortals and half-bloods rise. The city of New York is burned to ashes and civil war breaks out. The Purge has begun.</html>
1. Olympia

**Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.**

**READ "CRIMSON MEMORIES" (one-shot) to get a general idea of what this story will be led to. HOWEVER, if you don't want to, you don't have to. It may spoil a couple things. But it definitely gives a heads up as to the general direction of the story.**

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><p><strong>1 – I<strong>

Percy Jackson rolled up the piece of parchment and tied it with a worn out string. He placed it in the grip of his golden eagle and told it, "You know where to go."

It screeched and spread its wings. The king of the skies lifted off his hand with a powerful flap of its wings. It hovered in the air and flapped twice more before blasting off with its blazing speed into the sky off to the east. He heard the thunder of the bird's flapping wings for a split second before it disappeared from sight.

The golden eagle was an ancient form of messaging. According to legends, the people of the Far West introduced the golden eagle to the citizens of Olympia, but the records were all burned and had many missing parts. Only legends remained, and most of the stuff that came out of the mouth of any dude in his early twenties was probably bullshit.

Still, the golden eagle could fly at almost the speed of sound, at least, what was defined as the speed of sound: high pressure and on the verge of a sonic boom, also known as a loud explosion sound in the sky. If they made sonic booms every time they flew, the lands of Olympia would be very, very noisy.

Most people didn't have golden eagles. Golden eagles were usually reserved for those either in the Hunters, the Border Guard, the Enforcement Corps, the Olympic Guard or the Special Operations Force (SOF). Ridiculous names, eh? Nobody really cared. They were just excited about what you did doing that job.

At the age of twelve, every citizen in Olympia is required to check in to a national military-like camp (one camp for each state, including the Capital, coming to a total of seven). It wasn't actually military camp. It was more like boot camp. At least, for the first year. In that year, it is determined whether a person is fit to join _any_ of the five "glory jobs." The majority of people are kicked out after the first year. They then have to choose from specialty jobs. If they don't fit the requirements, they become commoners—people of the everyday world. Those who didn't want to join the glory jobs quit on the first day. These were the people who didn't like to have serious 24/7 jobs.

In the second year of training camp, everyone takes a personality test to determine the group of people they train with. The personalities are mismatched so that there aren't two people with nearly identical personalities. In that year, some people are kicked out if they don't have the will to keep going. Most of the year is dedicated to studying the histories of each glory occupation and to close combat. The final test done at the end of the year is to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each individual to see what job would suit them the best.

In the third year of training camp, usually about 500,000 of the original two million or more are left. That's a lot but in this year around four hundred thousand people are kicked out. Although that leaves a hundred thousand left, there are a hundred thousand graduates from camp every year giving plenty of manpower to each of the glory jobs. The third year is dedicated to working toward a certain goal depending on the result of the test done at the end of the previous year. About one-fifth of the trainees train in ranged combat to become a Hunter. Those not proficient enough move to close-ranged combat with swords and spears and other close-ranged weapons. At the end of the year, the one hundred thousand left are given predicted ranks for the end of the next year from one to one hundred thousand.

The fourth year nobody is kicked out. Everyone who makes it stays. The catch is that everyone moves to the Capital's campgrounds, giving those from the Capital an advantage. Each of them chooses which occupation they are running for depending on their predicted position. The Enforcement Corps is a strict but rewarding job. They have to be hard on the citizens, but are paid the highest of any of the jobs. Anyone in the fourth year can be on the Enforcement Corps. The Hunters are well-trained archers and knife-fighters that live lives that are taxing on the body. They are like the Enforcement Corps, except more skilled in combat. They have the most freedom out of any of the jobs. The requirement to be a Hunter is to be ranked between first and thirty thousandth. The Border Guard and Olympic Guard are practically the same job; however, the Olympic Guard is reserved for those who rank in the top 10,000. Anyone outside of the top 10,000 can join the Border Guard. They are the party jobs. They are the most relaxed. The Olympic Guard are the elite guards who represent the army and the guards of the president. The last job, the Special Operations Force, has the smallest available spaces. Only the top five in the whole country can make it. Of the one hundred thousand best recruits in the country, five make it in to the Special Operations Force each year. The top five have the right to refuse, in which case the sixth place is offered and so on until the number reaches fifteen. However, if the opportunity to join the Special Operations Force is given, it is rarely passed on. In the common case where an assassin or spy is killed in action, the brightest and best Enforcers and Hunters are looked upon to recruit. The maximum number of SOF at one given time is only two hundred. Naturally, the top five from the active ages—sixteen to forty-five—would equal one hundred forty-five personnel, so fifty-five or so of the Enforcers or Hunters who work hard can be accepted into the SOF.

Halfway through the year, it is revealed that the top 128 students in the year will participate in the annual Gladiator Games, a not-so-secret tournament to determine the best solo combatant at the end of the year. More often than not, the best solo fighter isn't the top of the class because they lack skills in other departments such as intelligence and strategy, or flexibility and adaptability. The bottom 64 fight using a spear, sword or bow. The top 64 fight with their fists and feet.

To make it even, the 64 are split into quadrants for the first battle. Instead of being first seed against sixty-fourth seed, it becomes first against sixteenth. Then seventeenth against thirty-second in the second quadrant. Then thirty-third against forty-eighth in the third quadrant, and forty-ninth against sixty-fourth in the fourth quadrant. To make it more challenging for those in the four quadrants, the two-sided table has the first and third quadrants on one side against the second and fourth quadrants on the other. It is lined up so that the best and worst in the third and fourth face the middle group of the first and second. Essentially, the top three of the first and second quadrants have the hardest time to get to the finals because they have to face one another in the second or third battle.

In Percy's year, the number two rank won the entire thing. He beat number fifteen, number one, number four, number five, number thirty seven, and finally number eighteen to win it all. His name was Percy Jackson.

The hardest battle he fought was with number one, who was said to be the most well-rounded graduate in the last three hundred years. She chose to be a part of the Spec Ops Force, like him, and got assigned to Assassin, like him. It is the job that requires the most mental strength.

She and Percy took on a job, two years later, to kill a high ranking official said to be running an illegal trafficking business, they got stuck and only one of them could escape. If one person didn't escape, both would be killed. At the very last moment, she sacrificed herself so that he could escape. Percy remembered how the guards stabbed her to death until her body wasn't recognizable anymore. She valiantly took twenty down with her but in the end she was dead. And that was that. Ever since then, the Spec Ops wondered why Percy Jackson had suddenly become a cold, vengeful demon.

He made a burial site for her in her hometown, Eboracum Nova, the same town Percy grew up in. Eboracum Nova was the official name of the city, but everybody called it New York. It grew to be the most populous city in Olympia. Most people had forgotten her because she'd only served for two years. Right after she'd graduated from the Assassin training. Right after _they'd_ graduated. Only he and a couple close friends seemed to remember.

_Eboracum Nova_, Percy thought. _My home. My death._

Olympia is divided into seven territories: the six states and the capital. The capital is called the Olympic City by official name and is nicknamed "the Capital" to refer to its heavy fortifications and riches beyond what the six states could produce. State 1 resembles the northeast and is called New England by the people. State 2 is the state of New York and the Mid-Atlantic simply because despite covering such a grand area, its only big city is New York. State 3 is sort of like the Highlands because there is a mountain range there called the Appalachian chain, but its west end juts out into the Midwest and Great Plains. State 4 is the Southeast and the Gulf. State 5 is the Midwest. And State 6 is the Southwest. If the border along State 3, 5 and 6 was the west coast, State 5 would probably be in the area called the northwest. But lands Olympia has feared to conquer lie out further west.

Outside of Olympia, there are two zones that the Olympic government have designated: the Neutral Zone and the Far West. No one is sure where the exact boundary between the Neutral Zone and the Far West lies, but both are very treacherous lands. The Neutral Zone continues and finishes the Great Plains before growing into an enormous mountain chain with steep, pointy, rugged mountains. That's where most people draw the line between the Neutral Zone and the Far West.

There are no recorded settlements larger than a thousand people in the Neutral Zone. Most people live in small villages or move with the food: the bison. The forests are vast, the plains are great, and the mountains towering. No Olympian would dare to try and live out there. The mysterious Far West is what hooks people the most. Apparently, the land is far more treacherous than the Neutral Zone. Split into North and South, the climates are vastly different. In the south it is much like a desert and it is always hot. In the north it is covered with forests and rains often. The rumor is that there are four cities, two in the north and two in the south, which sustain life and work together as a nation.

At least, that's what Percy heard.

He didn't dwell too much on the outside world. Even his home, his birth city, was so strange to him. His home was with the SOF. He lived and breathed in headquarters. Even if his room lacked a partner and friend.

Percy's horse bucked and neighed.

He chuckled good-heartedly. "No, Blackjack. I never slept with her. You dirty horse. Jeez."

The top student's name was Elizabeth Edmonds. She had a distinct streak of blonde in her dominantly dark brown hair and pretty hazel eyes. The more he tried to think about her, it seemed like the more he was forgetting her. He only wished that he could see her face once more to remember. But her image was already fading from his mind. He wondered if that happened to everybody. If the memory of the faces of those who no longer lived faded from everyone's mind.

There was no way to create an image of someone to keep forever. Perhaps with magic, but there were only so many children of Hecate. Besides, out of a population of over 200 million people, a hundred thousand was nothing. That was… 0.05% of the total population: nothing. Even the total number of half-bloods in general was nothing in comparison to the total population. Olympia was comprised of only 5% half-bloods. A country which was once solely comprised of half-bloods, the dilution of blood from the Native Immigration of 224 C.E. turned it into a country of descendants with blood so diluted by mortal lines that they had become a minority.

Half-bloods. It is the general term given to any person who is born to one mortal parent and one magical parent. There were once hundreds of magical parents, but in the past two thousand years, the number has reached around fifteen. These magical parents are all considered mages or gods, depending on where you're from and your religious identity. Gods sound more powerful, so Percy'd always considered them that. Their children are half-human and half-god, and therefore are called half-bloods.

There are the twelve on the main council: the Olympians. They're called: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes and Dionysus. The other six or so that still exist are Hades, Hestia, Hecate, Iris, Hypnos and Nemesis. However, there are three goddesses that don't have half-blood kids: Hestia, Artemis and Hera. Therefore there are only fifteen magical parents.

Ever since the Half-Blood Purge of 1363, tensions between half-bloods and mortals have risen. Mortals are more numerous, but half-bloods are all more powerful. The mortals are jealous because most of the top sixty-four of the graduating class each year are half-bloods.

Percy himself was a son of Poseidon, the mage (or magician… or god) of the sea, storms and earthquakes. He was considered part of the Big Three, the three eldest male gods or mages or whatever, who were the most powerful of all gods or mages or whatever.

That being said, he didn't feel like it. Apparently he needed some sort of spell or enchantment to activate water magic, but he had never found a book with lines of spells written down. Although children of the Big Three were more powerful, at least the children of mages like Athena or Hephaestus or Apollo had natural talents that didn't require magic: naturally greater levels of intelligence, skill with forging and metalwork, and natural talent in archery, respectively. More often than not, Percy relied on his sword to solve his problems.

Elizabeth may have been the best all-round graduate in the past three hundred years, but they always told him that he was the best combat fighter in a very, very long time. He prided himself in that. He'd always prepared for that. Despite knowing he needed to be smart to exact revenge, he wanted to be the best in fighting. He didn't want to lose just in case he got trapped in a head-on battle.

One day, he would find those responsible for his mother's and step-father's deaths and murder them. He wanted them to pay for what they did to him… what they did to Sally Jackson… what they did to Paul Blofis.

The Half-Blood Purge of 1363 wasn't the only purge to happen throughout history. There was a purge in 1572, in 1829, and the most recent one was the purge of 2000. It was the second worst purge behind the first in 1363 and was nicknamed "Y2K." It was the year 2000 problem. Nearly 40,000 half-bloods were slaughtered between the years of 1999 and 2002, but the most were slaughtered on New Year's Day in the year 2000: 5,000 during one day in a coordinated nationwide attack.

It was during the reign of May Castellan, a politician driven mad by some supernatural force in the year 2002 to end her reign of terror on half-bloods. Funny enough, her only child was apparently a half-blood of Hermes. But May Castellan wasn't the only person Percy wanted to find. He wanted to find the very men who had killed his mother and his step-father and end their lives at his hands. That was what he was training for after all these years.

Now, he was nineteen, a year after Elizabeth's death and three years since he graduated from training camp. The year… 2012. He would avenge his parents. And the best way to do that was to wiggle his way into the trust of the government, now run by May Castellan's only son, Luke Castellan. Fortunately, Luke didn't seem to share the same principles as his mother and instead aimed for peace between half-bloods.

Despite all the killing, half-bloods still remained a majority as graduates. In the SOF itself, all its members are half-bloods or recent descendants of half-bloods, meaning that their parents or grandparents were half-bloods.

The Special Operations Force is split into two or three main areas, depending on the way you see it. There are the assassins, the frontline soldiers who put their lives on the line to eliminate criminals and large criminal organizations slowly but surely. Percy was one of them. Then there are the guardians, the detectives and spies that work hidden from sight and away from eyes and ears. Depending on how you see it, detectives and spies can be separated into two categories. Detectives are more into solving public crimes and finding out who is responsible, and spies are more into finding out the interconnected web of all the members linked to crimes. Essentially, the guardians work together to give the assassins info on who to target.

Either way, everyone is a part of the SOF, a program in which only the elite of the elite are able to join.

Percy had found a home with the SOF and lived contently. He was constantly monitoring the Border Guard for the SOF to check on the security detail. Many SOF and Enforcement Corps—who were often the customs officers—aided him in protecting the border from any outsiders. Many people flocked to Olympia and many people left. It was up to the SOF, the Enforcement Corps and the Border Guard to monitor movement in and out of the nation. Of course, it was also part of Percy's job to make sure no one sneaks into the country. Illegal immigration was… well, illegal. They had to give all their information to the government.

The border was long. And the land was big as well. To travel from the most northern part of State 1 to the most southern part of State 4 it would take approximately five days and fourteen hours non-stop on horseback at a canter. With breaks, and short periods of a full-speed gallop, it would take a week and a half to two weeks. Travelling from the eastern seaboard to the western frontier would take less time than that, but it was still a long time.

To patrol a 1500 mile border from the northern part of State 5 to the southern part of State 6, around two million Border Guard members are used. It might seem like overkill, but lots of people try smuggling stuff across the border. Hoarders… traffickers… things that are allowed in the neutral zone but not in Olympia aren't allowed passage unless a direct order comes from the government itself. The density of the Border Guard is 1450 personnel per mile. These are all soldiers aiding with customs and protecting from intruders. And since the border is so long, it really is a relaxed job. Although the job requires guardsmen to be alert, it also requires the least effort.

Though, housing two million men and women ages 16-45 can be a little difficult, Percy noticed.

Percy was already in State 2 territory. He had left the western border of State 5 about four days ago. With his speedy horse, Blackjack, he could get places pretty quickly compared to other people. He figured he could push Blackjack into about midnight to get to the walls of the Capital. From there, they could take it easy into the meeting at SOF HQ.

Percy had sent a letter ahead warning the SOF members there that he was going to be late by a day because he left the border late. By now, the letter should have made it to them and they would be informed.

He flicked the reins, and Blackjack took off at sprint speed.

Percy found himself bursting through the streets of Philadelphia, which meant brotherly love in the old tongue. It was a pleasant town. It was big, but at the same time, it wasn't big. Sure, it was an important part of State 2, considering its population rivaled that of the capitals of States 3 and 4 and 6, but compared to New York, it was not much.

Philadelphia was a generally nice city with nice people, but it was growing rapidly. Percy wondered if it would turn into a New York: gangs, violence, racial tensions.

Percy had a lot of time to think about random things like that. After all, the life of an SOF operative who lost his two closest friends was lonely, especially when travelling alone. But like always, he seldom thought like that. He tried to focus on the positives, and aside from being alone, life was great. Percy had the duty of protecting the citizens of Olympia from criminals. It made him happy that he was helping others.

Suddenly, there was a screech from above. Percy looked up and saw his golden eagle. He frowned. It was carrying a letter.

He pulled back gently on Blackjack's reins, slowly decelerating until they were at zero velocity. He held his hand out for the eagle to drop the letter. It dropped the parchment right into his palm. Dreading what he was about to see, he slowly rolled the parchment out.

And his fears were confirmed. Right in the center of the page were two words:

_CODE BLACK_.

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><p><strong>So this is the new story you all voted for! This is idea #4, adapted to progressive changes in story as I have been developing it. Just as I end one story, another begins. It was a very close race between this and idea #2, but this won out in the end. Eventually, I may follow through with idea #2; however, I've already developed this one so I won't change my mind and start idea #2 in the middle of this story, especially with school this year. Anyway, read the description for idea#4 and you'll get the gist of the plot. This is very much an overview chapter.<strong>

**Here's the first chapter. Read and review. I hope you enjoy! Leave hate comments if you don't like this plot and make sure you never come again. Thank you very much.**

**SharkAttack719**

**P.S. since Gaea wants to rise by August 1st (I think) haven't you noticed Rick likes making August doomsday? Anyway, I'm sure a lot of you have started reading the Blood of Olympus. Unfortunately for me, I have larger concerns than getting a book on the weekdays so I won't get it until the weekend. Please don't spoil it for me. And BTW, I wrote this on Sunday, so I have no idea if the seven make it to Athens before the day Gaea's supposed to rise.**


	2. This is Me

**Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.**

**READ "CRIMSON MEMORIES" (one-shot) to get a general idea of what this story will be led to. HOWEVER, if you don't want to, you don't have to. It may spoil a couple things. But it definitely gives a heads up as to the general direction of the story.**

**Vote on the poll if you haven't already! Thanks!**

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><p><strong>2<strong>**– II**

Blackjack raced into the Capital. Percy held the SOF badge up to the guards, its clear silver hue glinting in the sunlight. The guards recognized the badge immediately, knowing the silver badge belonged to those of the SOF.

They blew a short metal horn in two long blasts, signifying everyone in the vicinity to watch out for incoming traffic.

Percy watched the gunpowder squad move to the side as he raced by. Citizens parted quickly when his horse galloped onto Main Street. Percy gritted his teeth and took a right turn on Fifth Avenue. Blackjack trampled over a fruit stand after turning another corner. After a good five minutes, they had made it into the eastern outskirts of the Capital. The Atlantic Ocean glittered brilliantly to the east.

Percy had always wondered why the SOF had set up the headquarters entrance closer to the ocean, but he knew that, at the moment, it was extremely inconvenient. It took him a lot longer than if the entrance had been in the basement of some worn down building in the downtown area. But, of course, the SOF headquarters had to be in a nice peaceful neighbourhood.

The main office was a four-storey building in the southeast district of Potomac. That's where the guardians worked. The four floors are dedicated to the detectives under public affairs, which numbered at around 50. There are three underground floors dedicated to the hideout and workplace of the spies and detectives under internal affairs. The entrance to the headquarters, where the assassins hide most of the time, is seven blocks down the road.

_If something happened…_ Percy thought. His teeth slipped and he bit hard on his tongue.

He cursed loudly as they passed the main office.

As he passed each window of the glass building, the sun's reflection flashed in his eyes. For a second he thought he saw something red but shrugged it off. Despite the weather, it was October. A cold breeze passed by his face, and a shiver ran up his spine. His heart felt heavy as he contemplated what could have happened. Code Black was a general message of emergency, but more often than not Code Black was used to describe a _really_ bad situation. The other occupations tended to use red as a colour of a major emergency. The medical units across the country strapped red bandanas to their upper arms when they were on emergency call.

When they got to the entrance, Percy quickly yanked back on the Blackjack's reins and leaped off the horse. Blackjack slowed down for just a split second as he flew off the horse's back before galloping off. Blackjack was an intelligent horse. He knew where to go in case of an emergency.

Percy rolled on the stone pavement and hopped up onto his feet.

He quickly burst into the house and went down to the basement. He found the hidden lever behind the bookcase and sprinted down the hall. He didn't even bother to close it back up.

The hallway that had opened was the worst part about going down into the assassin headquarters. Percy always felt claustrophobic every time he entered. The walls and ceiling were roomy enough for him to sprint, but it just felt like he was slowly being compressed. Especially because the walls were a bleak grey and worn down. The concrete was old in the hallway, so it felt like he was heading into an unstable, old tunnel that threatened to collapse on him at any moment.

To make matters worse, he had to get through the maze the assassins had set up. It was memorisable, so it wasn't that big of a problem, but it just felt like it was taking up the time he could have been using to save people from whatever had happened. He was in a hurry.

Antsy, he slammed the wooden door at the end of the maze with his shoulder, and it broke under his force. Splinters flew everywhere as he burst into the main room. Immediately, there was something wrong. The whole room was flooded. Papers had been scattered across the table, and many sheets had fallen into the water.

Percy's eyes widened when he realized that those were important documents. But there was no saving them now.

He ran toward the golden eagle chute.

Since the headquarters was underground, there was a long chute that extended through to the chimney of the house it was under. Of course, there was always a guard standing nearby in case anyone tried to access the hideout. The chimney is not accessible from inside the house, and the four walls are made of marble that is polished daily and sprayed with water hourly. At the very bottom, underneath the hole where the golden eagles stop, are spikes spaced out at about one spike per square foot. Of course, the spike itself was nearly a square foot in circumference but that's beside the point.

Although there were a couple golden eagle's there, including his own, the fact that there was no guard meant something was seriously wrong. There was also a trail of blood in the water, so it must have been recent. He followed the trail of blood into the job room.

The job room was an enormous hall with bulletin boards full of jobs that assassins could take on. Most of the jobs were taken by assassins and handed out to the Enforcement Corps to deal with, since the Enforcement Corps had more than a hundred times the number of personnel than the entire SOF, not to mention the assassins on their own. But the extremely hard cases, and ones that required stealth, were taken up by assassins.

These jobs were the ones that couldn't be solved by public manhunts, police squads, and army personnel. They were done by elite groups—the Special Operations Force—in pairs or trios. The job dealing with that Deu5 M0rti5 official that ended with Elizabeth's death was one of those.

As soon as the nineteen-year-old entered the room, he froze in shock.

There were half a dozen dead bodies inside, and the dying form of the leader of the whole SOF. The leader was wearing his office attire: tie, button-up shirt, and formal dress pants. Percy was stunned to see the SOF leader here. He should have been in the main office with the other…

Percy stumbled over to the leader, Jackson Hearst. Jackson had been the one to send that letter to him. Everyone else here was dead.

"Jackson!" Percy cried. "Jackson, wake up! Listen to me."

The man groaned and gritted his teeth. "Percy… Jackson…"

"Yes, it's me. What… what happened?"

"All dead. Ninety-three dead over there. Forty… forty-seven over here."

Percy went wide-eyed. "Who did this? How… what…?" All he could do was stumble on his words. So many questions raced through his mind he couldn't keep track of them all. There was so much he wanted to ask, but he knew that Hearst's time was rapidly coming to an end. He needed straight answers. He needed answers that would lead him to solving this crime.

"Five left." Jackson struggled to swallow. "You're one. Two others… younger than you. And then…" Jackson winced. "The last… the last two."

"Who did this?" Percy demanded.

"Betrayed," breathed the head of the SOF. "Kill them all. Corruption… destruction… the purge."

"The purge?"

"Half-bloods… mortals… day… of… death…"

Jackson Hearst stopped moving.

Percy found himself shaking in fear and anger. He slowly moved his finger to touch the neck of Jackson to check his pulse. He searched for one but couldn't find it. Percy turned his head away. He checked the other bodies.

A young man with pale skin, brown hair and hazel eyes: Joshua Kent, 25 years old. A middle-aged woman with black hair and dark brown eyes and beautifully tanned skin: Amy Tang, 29 years old. Percy's heart fell when he saw the blonde-haired, nineteen-year-old Alexandra Kingham. He patted her hair and closed her lifeless blue eyes. She came fifth in his year in the country and had joined the assassins. There were two other bodies and he closed his eyes in mourning.

He was the last of his year to survive. Alexandra was the fourth one to die. Aaron Schakowsky passed away due to a strange infection two years ago, Elizabeth Edmonds died a year ago, and Timothy Simmonds, a guardian—spy, was murdered by two low-life gang members four months ago. Percy wondered if this murder spree was connected to Deu5 M0rti5 just like with Liz and Tim.

He picked up each body and laid them in an ordered row in the main room. Just as Jackson had said, there were forty-seven bodies down here. He cursed. How had they all been killed? Were they seriously all here?

These were supposed to be the elite among the elite. How could they have been killed so easily without a single crying for help or a single soul escaping?

Percy punched the wood door as hard as he could. His fists were clenched tightly, his nails digging into his skin so hard it drew blood. He could feel himself shaking, his eyes threatening to spill tears, and his mouth ready to scream in frustration and agony. A mixing pot of emotions boiled in his gut as he stared at the bodies.

Amy's face had been sliced in half. Her lower jaw was disconnected, and the innards of her sinuses were exposed. Joshua had a huge hole in his neck, clearly where a knife or sword had penetrated. Alexandra's face was unharmed, and so was her neck, but her abdomen was soaked in blood and her guts protruded out.

These were all brave men and women. They had families. They loved and laughed and played and fought. They were like any other humans.

But now…

Percy gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut.

He grabbed a random sheet of paper, because for some random reason, a dry blank piece of paper was lying around on a desk, and a pen. It had been a while since the quill and ink became obsolete. When people learned how to store ink inside of a writing tool, it quickly became popular.

His hand shook as he wrote, but he did his best to keep it legible:

_Dear Henry Johnston,_

_My name is Perseus Jackson, of the assassin unit Omega of the Special Operations Force. There is a large-scale emergency at the headquarters. Send as many officers as you can. I'm begging you._

_Percy Jackson_

The young man rolled up the parchment and gave it to his eagle. "You know where to go."

The bird screeched and prepared to take off.

"I'll be waiting outside the house, all right. Don't come back in. All eagles station yourselves around the… the office and the house. You're no use inside here."

Each of the eagles accepted the command and took off one-by-one, as if it was a co-ordinated and organized launch of flying vehicles. In despair, he turned back to look at the bodies. There was nothing he could do. He was no detective. The case was now in the fate of the Enforcement Corps. And perhaps the Hunters could help. After all, they knew the most about different types of weapons.

Grabbing a sheet of paper and the pen, he darted out of the room and made his way up into the front yard of the house.

It was sunset when the Enforcers showed up.

Percy watched glumly as they handled the delicate procedures they were all used to. He couldn't bear to look at the dead bodies any longer and eventually found himself at Potomac Park watching young children play a game of capture the flag.

Capture the flag is a very Olympian tradition. Young kids are given wooden swords and spears and fight to capture a flag hidden on enemy territory. Of course, most of the time the game is played in the woods, but for fun, kids love playing it on open fields. They play fight and pretend to die like life is just a game.

_If only that were true_… Percy thought morosely.

Some of the girls were really fierce fighters. A dark-haired girl with lightly tanned skin and blue eyes was leading the charge for one team. She wore a fierce look and charged with no fear. She reminded him of an old friend. He hadn't seen her since he was nine. That would've been ten years ago. She also had dark hair and blue eyes, but her hair was much shorter and her eyes were more electric.

Sometimes, ferocity doesn't matter. At the end of the day, it matters if you survive or not. And, for him, he was the lucky one. He wasn't brutally killed that day, like so many of the others were. He survived. But it also seemed like it was a curse. He was suddenly unlucky because of the situation. Percy didn't know everybody in the SOF, and if he was the oldest person left… He doubted it, considering he was only nineteen, but it was a possibility.

Most likely, one of the SOF members who were still alive sold out the location of the hideout. That's what Jackson probably meant by betrayal. But if no assassin or spy could escape, then it had to be a person who planned clearly and not many young guys had that uncanny ability to strategize well enough.

He waited for the Enforcers to determine which ones had died. Everyone in the SOF had a fingerprint of each of their ten fingers and a painting done by a professional artist who had no affiliation with anyone beside the SOF. The artist, of course, shopped and acted like an everyday commoner, but other than that he had no real job other than to paint the faces of the SOF. It sounded stupid but at least that way every single one of the faces was correct and not tampered with.

It wasn't hard to spot out irregularities in the SOF because of the small number of personnel. Everyone pretty much knew everyone by facial recognition. That's why Percy didn't want to check the bodies himself. He was afraid because he would recognize the face and feel depressed. He didn't want to feel any worse than he already did.

The report came from Colonel Henry Johnston himself.

"You Percy Jackson?" asked the man. He looked in his mid-forties with lots of grey hair. Probably from being stressed out all the time with work. Percy nodded, and Colonel Johnston gave him the report: "Looks like five made it out including you. I assume you wanted the names, right?"

"Yeah."

Colonel Johnston looked down at his sheet of paper. "The five that survived… Perseus Jackson, assassin, age nineteen; Aden McKenzie, spy, age eighteen; Jordan Koroshiya, assassin, age eighteen; Jeffrey Kurst, assassin, age twenty-two; and Tomas Daniele, detective, age twenty-eight."

"Aden McKenzie, Jordan Koroshiya, Jeffrey Kurst and Tomas Daniele," Percy repeated. "Do you have their whereabouts?"

"We sent birds out. My teams in every major city in Olympia should be preparing to search their regions for any sign of the four remaining. I'll keep in touch with you with my eagle. Make sure you've got some paper on you, otherwise you can't write back. If there is anything I can do to help you, I'll be glad to help."

Percy nodded, staring at the bodies that had been laid out. Each one had a good chunk of room around it. Every body had a mat laid out for them, and a blanket covered each of them. As Colonel Johnston walked away, Percy punched the ground.

_Whoever did this,_ Percy thought menacingly. _They will pay with their lives._

* * *

><p>Colonel Johnston handed over the sheet of paper.<p>

It read:

_Mighty assassins can fall even to the weak. How lame._

_Your friendly neighbourhood criminals,_

_Deu5 M0rti5_

"The autopsy came in," Colonel Johnston said darkly. "Though it's obvious when you look at them. Lead balls. They were shot with pistols or rifles. The hypothesis is that there were at least six assailants considering the trajectory in which the bullets entered the body. Three bullets per victim. We marked all the locations where we think the assailants were standing when opening fire." There were X's in white paint at certain spots around the dead bodies. "As you know, _nobody_ has the technology to reload a bullet whilst moving or any quicker than half a minute. So there could not have been less than six attackers. As far as we can tell, Deu5 M0rti5 is responsible for these deaths."

Deu5 M0rti5 was behind everything, it seemed. It was in an alley way in the industrial parts of the Capital, just an hour away from downtown on horseback. Luckily, it was further south than Potomac, so being in the Potomac area made the commute a little less… well, long.

It was between a pen factory and its office building where the bodies of Jeffrey Kurst and Tomas Daniele were found. They had been dead since the night previous, when the assailants attacked. Since the factory and the office closed early, it was a prime location for night crime. If Percy remembered correctly, it was just a five minute walk to the building where Liz had lost her life.

The alley was a lot larger than most alleys. It had the space to fit at least six people standing shoulder-to-shoulder. The alley reeked of rotten food and rodent droppings. Percy wondered what Jeffrey and Tomas were doing out in a place like this. And if Jeff was an assassin, how did he not know better than to head into a dark alley like that?

Word of the SOF massacre had spread quickly. By the time that Jeffrey and Tomas had been found, a greater part of the nation knew about what had happened that fateful October day. He'd even received a letter from his friends Charles Beckendorf and Silena Beauregard from New York about the incident hoping he was doing all right and to visit them sometime soon. A message had come all the way from Aeleos, the Windy City, from a childhood friend Rachel Elizabeth Dare wondering if he was doing fine.

Of course, he replied back saying he was doing fine. But it felt weird to be talking to them. Despite the fact that he had these friends, they didn't feel like close friends. They felt distant. Because… well, he'd rejected Rachel when she asked him out on his sixteenth birthday, and they were both busy with their occupations… and Silena and Beckendorf were a happy couple preparing for marriage. They were both older than him by two years.

"Have you found the two kids yet?" Percy asked Colonel Johnston.

The head of the Enforcement Corps nodded. "Tracked them down to State 4. Typhonas to be exact. They've received word of the incident and are awaiting your command. After all, you have seniority… though it doesn't really matter much with just three members left."

Percy frowned and thought about it. "Get me a sheet of paper. I'll send them a letter. After that, have your best scribes write hundreds of posters and have them hung around the country. Just to let the people know."

"Know what?" Colonel Johnston looked like he already knew the answer. But Percy replied anyway.

"As the de facto leader of the Special Operations Force, I have the jurisdiction to decide the fate of the SOF without the influence of the government on my decision. I, Percy Jackson, hereby declare that the Special Operations Force will be disbanded and all its duties shall fall into the hands of the Enforcement Corps and the Hunters. On the last Monday of October, there shall be a meeting between the heads of the three forces to discuss the terms on which the responsibilities are split."

"You do realize what calling on the Hunters means, right?" asked Colonel Johnston.

"Yeah, I do, Henry," Percy sighed. "But I know Zoë personally. So the 'Man-Hating Virgin' won't be a big issue, 'kay?"

"First of all, don't call me Henry. Second of all, I don't trust that huntress one bit. The Hunters were far more balanced when Angus was the head—"

"This isn't really the time to complain, Colonel."

"Very well, _assassin_. I will send that out. In the meantime, after you've sent the letter, what do you plan to do?"

The young assassin allowed a dark smile to split his face. "To do what I do best."

* * *

><p>Percy put down the hood of his cloak as he entered the bar.<p>

According to Enforcement intelligence the suspects in the murders of Jeff and Tomas were at _Joe's Bar_ every Friday night. _Joe's Bar_ was a small little bar in the Capital's outskirts, even further south of the industrial district. It was run by Joe Cannata every night except for Sundays. The six who had been ordered to kill the two SOF members were regulars at the bar.

This area of the city was mostly populated by criminals and "bad boys" who were always looking for trouble. All the families that lived around here were extremely poor, and from data collected over the past ten years, no family from the area had a child graduate in the top 100,000.

Lots of them liked to show off their weapons: swords, axes, gunpowder weapons. But Percy kept his sword Anaklusmos sheathed. He'd always found himself doing weird things with his weapons and how he fought. For example, he was the only person out of those he knew who slung his scabbard over his shoulder and drew his sword from over his head. Also, despite being right-handed, he liked fighting in the left-handed stance known as southpaw as his default. It gave him the advantage over most right-handed fighters.

The inside of the bar was normal enough. The room stank of alcohol and drunk men. It was loud, as if there was a party going on inside. There were over two dozen people… quite the turnout.

He glanced at the sheet of paper with the description of what each of the six guys looked like.

He found them all at one table drinking wine and singing merrily. The common wine didn't make people too drunk, so he _would_ be able to pry some information off of these guys before he killed or injured them.

The bartender shouted, "Hey! Welcome to my bar! Would you like something to drink?"

"Sure! Something light!"

"Gotcha!" The bartender winked and went to get a cup of wine. Percy set a couple coins on the counter for the bartender when he came back with the drink. The bartender nodded courteously and took the money. "Thank you very much, sir."

Percy nodded back and took a large gold coin out. It was a drachma, a very valuable cold made out of pure gold. Drachmas were out of circulation, but they were worth a lot if they were sold back to the government. Anyone would kill to get their hands on just one drachma. He set it on the counter and said, "Don't ask me where I got it from. Just take it. It's to repay for what I'm about to do."

"Sir?"

The young assassin chugged the wine down, set the cup on the table, and slowly walked over toward the six gang members. He sat down and pretended to be a little out of it. They stared at him for a second but didn't really give it much thought. One of the guys extended a hand and said, "Welcome to Joe's Bar. This your first time here? You look a little young."

"Legal age is nineteen," he shrugged. "I'm nineteen. I figured you guys look like the best company out of anyone here. Not many girls my age, so might as well fit in with the tough guys. Know what I'm saying?"

They looked around. He was right. There weren't many girls around that were around the boy's age.

The guy who'd extended his hand withdrew it. "Well, that's for goddamn sure. So, what's your name, kid?"

"Pascal. Pascal Johnston."

"Pascal?"

"Yeah. I'm Pascal Johnston, proud member of 'fuck the government.' Got a problem with that?"

One of the other five smirked and said to the first guy, "Hey, I think I like this kid, Eugene. He's got a good attitude. Wields a sword. Maybe Yancy'll take him in. We could introduce this kid."

"Introduce me to where?" Percy pretended to play dumb. "Who's Yancy?"

"You're willing to trust a kid immediately like that, Gerry?" asked Eugene. "You gotta be more careful. Kids are fragile. You've got to lure them in slowly. Besides, I don't think the kid's got the guts to kill people."

Percy noticed an undertone in the man's voice. He was obviously trying to spark a reaction from him, but there seemed to be a hidden message in it. Perhaps the man was trying to figure out whether he was a spy or something. If he acted too smart, he would be called out. If he acted too dumb, he would be left behind. It wasn't as if he wanted to join them, but the name Yancy elicited some rather harsh feelings.

"I can kill people!" Percy exclaimed.

"Really? Can you?"

"Yeah!" He searched for an immediate memory of a dead comrade or family member. "There's… actually someone I want to find. My parents were killed by this guy in a black cape. He had a bronze sword and, well, I want to kill him. I want to avenge my parents."

Percy allowed some of his honest feelings to leak through, but shut the door as soon as he stopped speaking.

"You're not going to make it, kid," Eugene said snidely. "But I guess we could use someone like you. Follow us."

"Sure!" Percy decided that it was time to reveal himself. "But I just want to know… is this Yancy guy your boss or something? Is he the guy I'm going to meet? Is he the guy that gives you orders of who to kill or whatever?"

"Yes, yes and yes," Gerry said stupidly.

"And… by any chance, is your boss' name Yancy Turnbuckle?"

Alarm flashed in their eyes. Eugene was the first to realize what was really going on. But instead of running away, he drew his sword and levelled it at Percy's face. Daringly, he spat at the young assassin.

Percy smiled. "You six are wanted in connection with the murders of Jeffrey Kurst and Tomas Daniele. I have been given full authority to kill criminals. Especially those in connection with Deu5 M0rti5… and on a personal level…" Percy narrowed his eyes. "Especially those in connection with Yancy Turnbuckle."

He drew Anaklusmos and heard the bronze blade scratch against the leather scabbard. The noise in the bar died off as people began turning to the center of the room to watch the little argument between six members of Deu5 M0rti5 and someone who was clearly in league with the law enforcers.

One of the six panicked and turned to run away, but Percy dashed forward and whacked his temple with the side of his blade. The man crumpled like a rag doll, unconscious but not dead.

Eugene growled and stepped forward to attack. But Percy was no amateur. And this time, he didn't have his pistol with him. Even if that Jeffrey Kurst was an assassin, this much younger "Pascal Johnston" was far more skilled in swordplay. Eugene feinted a strike to the left and thrust forward, but Percy parried it. Then the assassin darted in close and used the flat of his blade to twist Eugene's blade so that Eugene had no choice but to drop it.

The sword clattered to the ground.

Eugene stared at him in fear, wondering who this "Pascal" was.

Percy sheathed his sword and got into a fighting stance: southpaw. He goaded the other man into fighting hand-to-hand combat.

Eugene looked at his four remaining comrades and sent them a mental message. They would all attack at once from different sides. The four nodded and slowly shifted until they had the young man surrounded. Eugene couldn't help but smile as he shouted "NOW!" and they five of them charged forward.

But Percy did something that Eugene didn't expect.

Percy chose one of the incoming targets and lunged at him. He blocked the fist that was aimed for his head and drove his shoulder straight into the man's chest. It knocked the wind right out of his chest. Before he could hit the floor, Percy drove his knee up as hard as he could, smashing into the man's testicles. The man screamed in falsetto before twitching and having a spasm for a couple seconds. Then his eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Without pause, he turned to his next foe and roundhouse kicked him straight in the face with his left leg before spinning tightly and delivering a crushing side kick straight into Gerry's jaw. Both men fell backward, but only Gerry was unconscious. Percy was sure he'd heard a crack when kicking Gerry as well. When the last guy turned to run, Percy decided to make an exclamation mark by killing him. He reached into his cloak, produced a throwing knife and flung it at the fleeing man with almost pinpoint accuracy. The knife entered the man's neck at such an angle that the blade of the knife drove up into the back of his brain and he collapsed to the deck, most likely dead.

With everyone unconscious, dead, or moaning in pain, Eugene knew he was defeated.

Percy crouched down and grabbed Eugene by the collar. "Where is Yancy?"

"The usual office," Eugene said immediately. "Please, don't kill me!"

"You're not lying?" Percy asked.

"I swear to the Olympian Council!"

"Okay. I trust you."

"Thank you! Thank you!"

"Don't thank me. Thank Jeffrey. Or Tomas."

Eugene looked up at Percy in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"_Fiat Justitia ruat caelum_," Percy said. He unsheathed Anaklusmos. "Let justice be done…" He swung his sword and beheaded Eugene. "…though the heavens fall."

* * *

><p>Percy opened the door and found Yancy Turnbuckle sitting silently on a chair with his eyes closed. He stepped inside and shut the door.<p>

Yancy was unarmed and was tied to the chair, which itself was tied to large weights, as if someone had left him here to die.

"They always said assassins were better as lone wolves," Yancy said calmly. "After all, how easy was it to kill my guards this time when the only thing you had to worry about was yourself? There was no one to protect on your way up this time, was there?"

"A year later. Things seem to have changed around here. But I haven't changed. I still want revenge for what you did to Liz."

"Mhm." Yancy sighed dejectedly. "I understand. After all, I'm an old man and I've been diagnosed with a rare disease that has no known cure. I'll die anyway. You're just saving me from wasting my time."

"Who tied you to the chair?"

"I had help. They thought you would come."

"Who?"

"My superiors."

Percy snorted. "So, what was it this time? Some higher up told you to kill two Special Ops members? Then you follow up with it and end up getting tied to a chair to die? Likely story."

"Then go ahead," Yancy said darkly. "Kill me."

Percy's lip twitched. He stepped toward the old crime boss. "Justice."

He raised his sword. "This is for Jeffrey!" Percy sliced the old man's right forearm off. Yancy screamed in pain.

"This is for Tomas!" He sliced Yancy's left forearm. _Scream!_

"For E!" Yancy's right shoulder. _Scream!_

"L!" Left shoulder. _Scream!_

"I!" Right knee. _Scream!_

"Z!" Left knee. _Scream!_

"A!" Right hip. _Scream!_

"B!" Left hip. _Scream!_

"E!" Through the intestines. _Scream!_

"T!" Through the stomach. _Scream!_

"H!" In the chest. _Scream!_

Yancy's head drooped as he began to succumb to hypovolemia. Percy could tell that the old man could still hear him… could still see him. He felt anger consume his body as he pushed the man's head back and allowed him to see what he was about to do.

Percy brought Anaklusmos across his body. The blade glinted with a deadly look as he eyed the exposed neck of the old man. He envisioned himself cutting straight through and lopping the head off the old man.

"This is for Liz, you son of a bitch," the young assassin growled. "Die, monster!"

_Whoosh!_

_Schlock!_

* * *

><p><strong>Hey, hey! If you haven't already, vote on the poll for the ending you wish most to see. Don't worry, I don't reveal who dies who lives what happens. But I use one or two words to describe the events and the moodtone of the ending. Your options are:**

**1. Bittersweet  
>2. Hatred and Anger<br>3. Tragic  
>4. Wistful<br>5. Heartbreakingly Heroic**

**So... vote on the poll. Also, don't forget to read the chapter, and review and tell me what you think about it!**

**Thanks,  
>SharkAttack719<strong>


	3. Training: Year 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.**

**READ "CRIMSON MEMORIES" (one-shot) to get a general idea of what this story will be led to. HOWEVER, if you don't want to, you don't have to. It may spoil a couple things. But it definitely gives a heads up as to the general direction of the story.**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I changed an option on the poll from "Heartbreakingly Heroic" to "Heartbreaking but Heroic" after a friend asked me to clear it up. Thinking about the ending I had wanted for this phrase, he determined that "Heartbreaking but Heroic" was a better way to put it. If you voted for "Heartbreakingly Heroic" and did not expect "Heartbreaking but Heroic," please send me a private message telling me you voted for that but want to change your vote to something else. Thank you very much.**

* * *

><p><strong>3 – III<strong>

It all started September 1, exactly two weeks after his twelfth birthday.

"All right, all right, quiet down!" a buff man on the stage shouted. He was wearing a military uniform, the classic camouflage fatigues. The man was so muscular you could see his muscles protruding through the uniform. And that thing wasn't skin tight. "There's _a lot_ of you here today, and our Hecate half-blood isn't here so our voice amplifier isn't at full power!"

The guy to Percy's left snorted. "With that voice, you don't need a voice amplifier."

Percy glanced at him, but said nothing about it.

"So the State 2 camp has been split up into five separate branches!" the man announced. "My name is Jacob Kennedy. I am the head of the Eboracum Nova branch, also known as the New York branch. There are almost sixty thousand people at this camp. At the same time in the nine other buildings, my subordinates are delivering the same presentation to a group of students just like you guys! Luckily for you, you lucky fifty-eight hundred were picked, via the entrance exam, to be a part of the Battalion 1, the best battalion in State 2. We'll skip all the math because no one cares about math, but let's just say that you will be divided into forty-nine teams. Each team will be split into six groups called classes. These groups will be the twenty or so people you will stick with until the end of the year. Of course, expect to see those class sizes drop drastically. Most people won't be able to handle the pressure. You all have a piece of parchment in your hands, am I correct?"

Percy looked down at the paper in his hands. There was a number on it: 1.

"The number written down is the team you have been placed in. And if you didn't get a high number, feel bad about yourselves because we think you don't have the potential. I'd like to see you prove me wrong." The man laughed. "You will proceed to the rooms designated to your number! As you can see, there is a giant metal number above each door. Inside, you'll learn who's in your group. Be careful, because nearly six thousand of you will be trampling toward each of the doors. There are human and magic monitors all over the floor where you stand, so if you decide to purposely shove someone to make them seem late, you will be immediately expelled! Go!"

The sound of six thousand twelve-year-old children was like a stampede. Percy quickly darted toward his door, hoping that he wouldn't be late. Instead of plowing through people, he decided to run forward, and since he was near the front, he found himself on the stage, running past the muscle man, Jacob Kennedy.

Eventually, he was sitting down in a large hall with one hundred nineteen other twelve-year-old kids of all kinds. The boy who'd been standing next to him in the presentation hall was also sitting next to him in the Team 1 hall. On his other side, there was a girl. She had a distinct streak of blonde in her dominantly dark brown hair and pretty hazel eyes. When he looked at her, she seemed to sense his presence. She turned to look at him and smiled. He nervously smiled back as the dude on stage began roll call.

He didn't know how long it was until the roll call caught his attention, but there looked like there were only twenty-five people left, and they were still calling the second last group. Once the second last group left, there were only nineteen people left. Both the boy and girl on either side of him were still there.

"Congratulations!" the dude on stage said. "You nineteen are the top group of the top camp in State 2. That means you are considered to be the best of the best. Although that may not end up true in the end, you, according to the entrance exam, are considered to have the greatest potential into making it into the final camp in fourth year. Now, I will read your names, and when your name is called, please stand up."

He began reading the names.

"…Elizabeth Edmonds…"

The girl next to him stood up.

"…Perseus Jackson…"

He stood up.

"…Aaron Schakowsky…"

The boy on his other side stood up.

He called the last name before saying. "Welcome, recruits. I'm your head teacher, a major in the Enforcement Corps, Henry Johnston. Our first task… let's go outside to the track in the back. Line up in alphabetical order by surname."

They were led outside by Major Johnston to the track on the back field. There were groups of older kids standing in the grass field in the center of the field. Percy didn't quite understand what they were doing there, but Major Johnston was too far away to ask.

When they got down there, the bunch of older kids ran toward them and began shouting names. Percy heard his name being called by a blonde-haired girl who looked about a year older than him. For a second, he thought it was Annabeth, and he suddenly felt happy, but then he saw her face and his face fell. The girl had hazel eyes, not grey eyes. Still, he surged toward her and met up, coincidentally, with Elizabeth and Aaron. Two other twelve-year-old kids joined them, one boy and one girl.

The older girl said, "All right, looks like you guys are the last group who are going to race."

"Race?" asked Elizabeth.

"Yup!" The older girl checked her sheet. "Hm… are you… Elizabeth Edmonds?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"Okay. You're going to be in lane one. Rose, lane two. Eric, lane three. Aaron, lane four. Percy, lane five."

"I thought your name is Perseus?" asked the girl he assumed was Rose.

"It's my legal name, but my mom always called me Percy."

"Called?" asked Aaron, with his eyebrows raised.

He looked away with a curt nod. He tried not to look at their faces as they comprehended the meaning of his answer, but Elizabeth, unfortunately, made her reaction verbal. It didn't help the sudden drop in mood.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Percy," she said.

"I don't need your pity," he said bitterly.

"No, no. My dad died last year. I understand!"

Percy looked at her straight in the eyes. They were pure… innocent… but at the same time held a deep sadness. For a second, he felt like they connected. Then he broke out of his trance and nodded in response, hoping the conversation would draw to a close.

"At least you know your parents," the older girl said darkly. "My mother died when I was really young, and I never knew my father. I lived in an orphanage for the past few years. Now that I think about it… you look kind of familiar Percy."

Percy turned his attention to her. "Orphanage?"

"Don't tell me…" the boy named Eric said. There was a hint of surprise and excitement in his voice. "You're half-bloods?"

Rose, Elizabeth and Aaron turned to the two in curiosity. Right then, the starter pistol went off and the first group took off. It looked as though they were running down the straight line of the track. Percy vaguely remembered running in activities down the length of the track they had at the orphanage. 100 meters, if he remembered correctly.

Percy wasn't sure how the Eric boy had gotten to that conclusion, but the second-year nodded anyway.

"My father's Apollo," the girl said. "I still haven't met him… but I guess it is okay that I know who my father is." She looked at Percy with empathy. "Anyway, why don't we focus on the race? Prepare to race against each other in a short sprint."

"What's the point of the race anyway?" Percy asked, aiding in changing the subject.

"They change it up every year," the older girl grinned. "Last year it was a four by one hundred race with a wooden baton. My group lost, but it was an epic race. This is to test individual ability. Last year they wanted us to learn how to co-operate well right away. I guess they wanted something different this year. And the surprise is that it's a tournament. Winner moves on and faces another heat of winners. There are about a hundred twenty people here. Around twenty four races will occur with four or five runners. The winners are grouped into four groups of six runners. Then the final race will go on with the final four. The winner earns bath and eating privileges for their entire group or class."

The five twelve-year-olds cheered.

"That's awesome," Aaron exclaimed.

"_However_," she added, "you're racing against your classmates or group-mates, so each class as an equal chance. We expect the most athletic of Team 1 to have the best overall time between each of the forty-nine teams. Over the next few days, all forty-nine teams in Battalion 1 will have sent around six thousand racers, and the times will be taken into account for the final report. There are hundreds of teachers organizing the events with the help of second-year students and third-year students. And the other battalions will get their chance after." The gun for the fourth race fired. "You guys are going last, so you have lots of time to prepare."

"I'm going to win!" the boy named Eric boasted. "I'm the fastest kid in town."

Aaron laughed. "As if. I bet Rose'll beat you. And then I'll beat her. Then Percy over here. And then Liz."

Eric's face went red in anger. "Yeah right."

Rose chuckled. "I'll do my best, but I know I'm not going to win. Can I call you Liz?" Elizabeth nodded. Rose continued, "Yeah, either Liz or Percy's going to win. I agree with Aaron."

"Oooh, got yourself a girlfriend already?" Eric teased, trying to draw the embarrassment off of himself.

But Aaron played along nicely and put his arm around Rose and hugged her close. "So what if I have a girlfriend already. Probably better than you."

Liz laughed. Percy couldn't help but grin. They glanced at each other and burst out laughing.

Rose, Aaron and Eric all turned to face them. But the two didn't look away from each other. Liz smirked and said, "Good luck to you, Jackson, but just so you know, I'm not going to go easy on you. _I'm_ going to win us that prize."

"Fair enough." He stuck out his chest proudly. "Challenge accepted, Edmonds."

When it was finally their turn, Percy and Elizabeth didn't stop glaring at each other, albeit playfully. They were on the outside lanes, so the rest of the group could see the playful atmosphere surrounding the two. At the same time, there was a feeling of tension, and the three in the middle knew that they were racing for real.

"Ready!" called a third-year. "Set!"

He pulled the trigger and they were off.

Liz had the best acceleration, easily pulling ahead of the rest of the group. Percy followed suit, with Aaron and Eric right behind, and Rose in the back. As the race reached the twenty meter mark, both Percy and Liz put on a burst of speed, leaving the three others in the dust. Percy focused entirely on running as hard as he could and tuned out the rest of the world. All that mattered was getting to the finish line.

He pumped his arms and legs as hard as he could until the finish line where he lunged and got his foot across the line. As he slowed down, he noticed Liz was right next to him. They stared at each other for a moment as the other three finished the race. Eric finished third, with Aaron in fourth and Rose in fifth. But the two looked around at the group of stunned spectators.

"Who won?" Liz asked.

The second-year girl who'd helped them in the first place walked up to them with a stunned expression. "You… you guys tied. It was too close. We couldn't tell."

"200… 200 meter race!" Aaron gasped, while catching his breath.

The crowd cheered in agreement.

He glanced at Liz and shrugged. She smirked and nodded. The crowd, understanding the gesture, roared in approval. Percy could hear people making bets, including Aaron and Eric. Both of them were glaring harshly at each other with Rose as a mediator between them. Aaron had bet that Liz would win, which kind of hurt, but Percy wasn't sure if he would win. Liz was definitely quick.

She lined up on the inside lane, and he lined up on the lane next to her. Since it was a two hundred meter race, he was positioned a bit ahead of her, but it was still the same distance. They got into their starting positions and prepared to race.

Percy could feel his heart thumping in his chest. Nervousness crept up his throat as there was a shout: "Ready! Set!"

_Blam!_

Percy took off.

The distance was twice as long, so Percy didn't exert himself as much yet. He saw Liz take the lead out of the corner of his eye. He needed to beat her on the straightaway. But as he turned the corner, he had a horrible thought: Liz wasn't going at full speed, and she was waiting for him to put on his speed burst to do hers. He growled as he came to the straightaway.

For a moment, his legs elongated and his body lightened. He felt his legs reach as he put on a burst of extra speed, pulling ahead of Liz just as they came to the halfway mark of the race. And on the straightaway, Percy kept pulling ahead.

That is, until Elizabeth sped up herself. She took off at an even faster pace than him, and mentally, Percy cursed.

Barely a quarter of a second before Percy, Elizabeth crossed the finish line.

There was an eruption of cheers and jeers as the two finished. Elizabeth was clearly out of breath, and she bent down to catch it back. Percy, panting, patted her on the back and said, "Congratulations, Elizabeth Edmonds. You win."

Aaron cheered. "Haha! You owe me ten bucks, Eric!"

"I swear, I'm just having rotten luck today," Eric muttered with a downcast expression.

Rose smiled and him and kissed him on his cheek. He turned to her, stunned. She winked and said, "Come on, Eric. This is supposed to be a fun competition. You may have lost ten bucks, but we might have dibs on food and bath times."

Aaron's jaw dropped. "Did she just—?"

Percy chuckled. Liz couldn't help but grin.

_These guys are full of surprises_, Percy thought. _So unlike…_

His mood dampened just thinking about his past, but he shoved those thoughts into the back of his mind. Now, his goal was to cheer Elizabeth on so that she would win them bath and food privileges. Because after running two races, he was feeling kind of sweaty.

A few races later, Elizabeth ended up winning the whole thing. Class 1 erupted in cheers and ran onto the track, crushing her in a giant group hug. Percy kept to the outside, because he didn't feel like getting compressed into a pancake on the first day.

Henry Johnston, Class 1's head teacher, walked up to them with a proud smile. "Like it should be, the top class wins the first event. Don't let it get to your head, though. The other classes have great chances against you, especially because it was pretty much only Elizabeth who won the event for you. If you want to win, every person has to work hard."

"Yes, sir!" the class chanted.

Mr. Johnston laughed. It was a quiet laugh, but the teacher had great projection, so it seemed as though he was laughing loudly. "That's the spirit. By the way, it's lunch. You guys are up first!"

"Race to the cafeteria!" Aaron declared before sprinting off toward the cafeteria. The rest of the class followed suit, but Elizabeth was far too tired from her races to go off sprinting some more.

Percy stayed behind and walked alongside the brunette.

"Why don't you go ahead?" she suggested. "I'll catch up."

He shrugged. "I can wait. I'd rather not have you walk by yourself. In fact, it's kinda rude to leave the girl who won it all behind, don't you think?"

A twisted smile split her face, and Percy recoiled a bit. She noticed his reaction and blushed. "Oh, sorry. I was just… yeah, it kind of makes me feel angry that they'd just leave me behind, but I mean, if it were me, I'd run off to get the food as well. You seem… different."

"Am I?"

"Not particularly. But in this situation, it's quite evident that you are different from the rest of our classmates."

"Yeah, I guess."

They walked in silence for a minute. When they reached the doors of the cafeteria, Percy went to open it, but Liz put a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face her. She was looking away nervously, as if hesitant to speak straight at him. She said, "Well, thanks for sticking with me. Even though we didn't talk much."

"No problem." Percy put his hand on the door handle but paused. "You know, you can sit with me at lunch if you want. We could sit with Rose and Eric and Aaron if you want? Considering we're all in Class 1, why don't we just hang out and help each other throughout the year. You know, tutoring sessions for the not so smart ones, and training sessions for the not so fit ones. And both Aaron and Eric could learn a little bit of humility."

Liz let out a cute laugh. Percy joined in, and pretty soon both of them were laughing their heads off.

They composed themselves within the next minute, and both of them sighed in content.

"You know, this might not be so bad," Liz said. "Maybe… maybe this'll be fun. First year's basically regular classes, orientation and determining whether you're fit to be a part of the nation's combat forces, right?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah, you're right. This could be fun. But I swear I will beat you in whatever contest or exam we're doing next."

"Is that a bet?" Liz asked with a sly smirk.

"Oh yeah."

She extended a hand. "You're on. If I win, you have to pretend to confess to Rose publicly… at least within our class."

Percy noticed the lack of the word 'love' and smirked at her mistake. "Okay then. If _I_ win, you have to lick my foot."

She rolled her eyes. "Boys. So unhygienic."

Suddenly, Aaron bust through the doors, dramatically falling to his knees and crying, "NOOOOO!" to the sky.

The two looked at him weirdly. "What in Olympus' name are you doing?" Percy asked.

"The next test is an exam!" he cried.

Panic flashed in Percy's eyes. "An exam?"

Liz noticed. He cursed as a devious smile slowly spread across her face. He really hoped that the rest of the year wouldn't be like this. The last thing he needed was for her to be a better combat fighter, because that's where he excelled.

She grinned. "Percy?"

"Yes?" he replied meekly.

"You're. So. Dead."

* * *

><p>"Please, no!" Percy begged.<p>

"It's part of the deal!"

"But you never said _love_!" His voice cracked and he covered his mouth in embarrassment. "But you never said _love_," he hissed in repetition.

"It was heavily implied. What else would you confess to her? Ghosts that've been haunting you?"

"Sure!"

Liz groaned. "Don't be ridiculous, Percy. Stop being a coward and follow through with the bet."

Percy groaned in turn and walked miserably into the classroom. Unfortunately for him, the room was packed full of students. And the worst part of it all was that Mr. Johnston was at the front, writing on a blackboard. He felt like crying, and that was the least manly thing he could've done at the moment. Both Aaron and Eric were sitting around Rose, glaring at each other like they were having some sort of competition over her. She, meanwhile, tried her best to look carefree and like she didn't realize what was going on. But the look in her eyes betrayed her.

He briskly walked up to them, catching attention of all three. They swiveled their heads to face him, and Percy burst into rapid-fire confession. "RoseIhaveacrushonyouandIwanttomarryyou. Pleasedon'tkillme!"

The entire class stopped talking.

Rose went wide-eyed, and both Aaron's and Eric's jaws unhinged. Percy felt his face heat up and he bowed down to avoid eye contact. "Excuseme!" His voice came out an octave higher than normal.

Rushing out of the classroom, he ran straight into a red-faced Elizabeth Edmonds. As soon as he opened his mouth, she burst into hysterics. Percy was sure the whole school could hear her.

"Oh my gods!" she exclaimed. "That was hilarious! You shouldn't have bet on a written exam, you idiot!"

Percy felt a little of the pressure life off his back and exhaled in relief. Elizabeth blinked and cocked her head in question. She blinked twice before her face went beet red in realization. Everyone now knew that it was for a bet and that it wasn't for real. But that only furthered the embarrassment for Percy.

"Youuuu!" Elizabeth screamed and proceeded to beat him up.

The entire class burst into laughter as the brunette dragged in the battered body of the black-haired half-blood behind her. She deposited him in his seat and took a seat in the seat next to his. Percy put his face in his hands, suddenly feeling sweaty and hot.

"I hate you so much," he mumbled into his arm.

"Get used to it," she said smugly.

Percy chuckled. "You kind of sound like an old friend of mine. She would always tell me that whenever she messed with me: _'Get used to it, Seaweed Brain.'_ Even though I don't think you guys are alike at all that line just reminds me of… happier times. Not much of that in my past."

Liz put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Percy. I'll stick by you, no matter what. As long as you stick by me. We'll be a team and make it into the Special Operations Force together. Let's make that a deal."

Percy looked up at the fiery determination in the girl's eyes. "SOF… together?"

"Deal?"

He stared at her hand for a few seconds before a grin split his face and he shook it. "Deal."

* * *

><p>For the rest of the year, their little group of five became some of the most prominent figures at camp. Eric turned out to be an excellent combat fighter and was second to only Percy. Rose was quite intelligent and constantly did well on exams and tests right from the beginning. Aaron kept working and eventually became faster than Percy, though his endurance was still pretty bad. And he also was only second to Rose on exams, for the most part. Elizabeth was probably the most well-rounded student, the second best <em>between them <em>at spears, third at swords, generally third in tests, first in speed and second in endurance, and best in archery. None of them were actually that great at archery, so it wasn't hard to be the best at it.

At the end of the training year in June (had he mentioned that they got summer breaks?), he got his report card.

"What'd you get?" Aaron asked seriously. Percy wondered why Aaron was so drastically different when he was concentrating on work compared to his relaxed side. When he was relaxed, Aaron was more like Eric than anything else. They made fun of each other, bothered each other, argued with each other, and often got into fights, mainly over Rose. Why were twelve-year-old boys willing to fight over a girl? Percy had no idea.

"Um…" Percy drawled. "Here, read it."

_Student ID #NY200002  
>New York Branch<br>Perseus Jackson_

_Perseus prefers to call himself Percy. He has very passable grades aside from archery, so he has been invited to the second year of training camp. His grades are showing in the following table:_

**_Archery – F (rank… last)_**_  
>Percy shows no skill with a bow whatsoever. Next year, he is recommended not to take part in archery class in order to save his classmates from being seriously injured.<br>__**Swordplay – A++ (rank 1)**__  
>Percy demonstrates the ideal qualities of a swordsman, especially due to his unorthodox style. He is very competent and has great defence and is very well-rounded in combat with swords.<em>_**  
>Spears – A (rank 25)<strong>__  
>Percy is almost as good with spears as he is with swords; however, he could vastly improve the technique of spear fighting: less swinging, more stabbing.<em>_**  
>Short-distance – B+ (rank 65) <strong>__  
>Percy is quick and shows the ability to compete with the best in short distance. However, he still requires work to become even faster.<em>_**  
>Long-distance – B+ (rank 53) <strong>__  
>Where Percy lacks speed, he makes up in endurance. He can run for longer than most of his classmates.<em>_**  
>History – A+ (rank 2)<strong>__  
>Percy understands the history of each of the five occupations and has a developed interest in each of them. He listens intently and discusses intensely during each class.<em>_**  
>Mathematics – C- (rank 5316) <strong>__  
>Percy needs much improvement on his mathematical skills. He also needs to stop shouting "Shut up, Elizabeth! I know this question" and then proceed to get that question wrong.<em>_**  
>Natural and Social Sciences – C+ (rank 3856)<strong>__  
>Percy understands the life science aspect of natural science, earth sciences and social sciences fairly well, but refuses to do chemical and physics aspects of physical science in part due to his inability to comprehend formulae well.<em>

"Wow, that's pretty good," Aaron said, slightly impressed. "I heard that two-thirds of the _entire_ State 2 camp was kicked out this past year. That's a _huge_ number. There are, like, two million each year, right? Divide that by seven camps for each state and you get like… two hundred eighty-five thousand or something like that. And then the five branches of the camp make like sixty thousand in the New York branch. Average that and it's thirty eight thousand gone from the New York branch. That's twenty-two thousand left here. You still managed to stay in the top five thousand out of twenty-two thousand, for the most part."

Percy stared at him and glanced down. Aaron was holding a piece of parchment paper in his right hand. Percy snatched it from his grip and read it.

_Student ID #NY200017  
>New York Branch<br>Aaron Schakowsky_

_Aaron is hardworking and doesn't like to be called by his surname. He has very passable grades, so he has been invited to the second year of training camp. His grades are showing in the following table:_

**_Archery – B (rank… 1570)_**_  
>Aaron shows great aptitude for archery, although he needs to work on precision. His accuracy is excellent.<br>__**Swordplay – B+ (rank 51)**__  
>Aaron practices with Percy Jackson, which helps bring out the best in him; however, Aaron gets cocky when fighting anyone other than his original partner, causing him to do poorly on examination.<em>_**  
>Spears – A (rank 23)<strong>__  
>Aaron is far superior with spears than he is with swords; however, he has room for improvement, including defence.<em>_**  
>Short-distance – A- (rank 39) <strong>__  
>Aaron is quick and shows the ability to compete with the best in short distance. However, he still requires work to become even faster.<em>_**  
>Long-distance – B- (rank 2453) <strong>__  
>Where Aaron lacks endurance, he makes up in speed. He can run for shorter than most of his classmates.<em>_**  
>History – A+ (rank 4)<strong>__  
>Aaron understands the history of each of the five occupations and has a developed interest in each of them. He listens intently and discusses intensely during each class.<em>_**  
>Mathematics – A+ (rank 6) <strong>__  
>Aaron has a natural talent for mathematics and works best independently. His mental math is unmatched.<em>_**  
>Natural and Social Sciences – A+ (rank 2)<strong>__  
>Aaron understands all aspects of the sciences and performs well.<em>

Aaron grinned, clearly proud of his marks.

"The grading system is tough for A's," Percy muttered. "Liz told me that you have to be in the top fifty to get an A. But B's and C's cover a large range. And by large, I mean like… in this camp, if you are ranked twenty-two thousandth, you can get a C-. Everyone kicked out got D's and F's. And by the way, I hate math and science."

"If we add up the marks—" Aaron was cut off by the excited scream of Elizabeth Edmonds.

She was running down the hall, her progress report flapping back with the wind. She ran up to them and said, "I got in the top thousand in everything! That's amaaaazing!"

Percy looked at her report with Aaron, and both of their jaws dropped. Percy muttered, "Archery, 965. Swordplay, 10. Spears, 5. Short-distance, 3. Long-distance, 63. History, 12. Mathematics, 43. Natural and Social Sciences, 5."

"Oh. My. Gods." Aaron buried his head in his bands. "I feel so bad about my report card now."

Elizabeth grabbed his report and read it. "Oh, come on, Aaron. You did well. You managed to academically smoke us all except Rose. And besides, in terms of well-roundedness, you did better than Percy!"

"That's offensive," Percy said.

"But true," Liz countered.

"How did Eric and Rose do?" he asked.

"Rose destroyed _everyone_ in exams: first place in all three," Liz said with a hint of admiration. "But she got C's in everything else. Eric was second in swordplay, first in spears. He got B's in the academics and B+'s in running. Archery… he was told that it wouldn't suit him."

"Not surprising," Aaron snorted. "Just like you, Percy, except smarter."

"Oh, shut up!" Percy's face went red. He knew it was true. He didn't like math or science. He never tried in those classes, but he figured that excelling in other things would be enough to compensate.

Liz looked at him carefully for a moment before the bell rang. Over the MVP system (Magical Voice Projection, not Most Valuable Player… that was called Best-Performing Player), the voice of the principal blared: "All students proceed to your respective homerooms for the personality tests! All students proceed to your respective homerooms for the personality tests!"

A rush of students ran by them, sprinting across the school to their homerooms.

Percy glanced at his two friends. Liz grinned and said, "Race ya!" Then she took off.

Aaron was the next to take off. Percy trailed behind them, but realized that this was a good opportunity to train. He sprinted as fast as he could down the hallway. He could see Aaron climbing the stairs two at a time, whilst Elizabeth was taking them individually. Percy grinned and hopped up the stairs three steps at once. He passed a stunned Aaron before shoving Elizabeth to the side and running toward their classroom.

He slammed the door open and slid into his seat, just as Elizabeth, holding a nasty bruise on her cheek, entered the room. She glared at him with daggers so sharp they seemed to pierce him even though they didn't exist.

She went down on her knees next to him and pointed to her cheek. "Kiss it better."

The rest of the class was there… had already been there before the three of them entered. They all turned and stared, expressions of amusement written across their faces. Many were trying to suppress laughs. Percy felt his face heat up, but was surprised to see Liz's face was a little red as well. He kissed her cheek, and the class exploded with OHHHHs and AHHHHs. Shrugging off her embarrassment, Liz held her chin high and nodded, accepting the "apology."

Major Johnston walked into the room and saw the bruise on Liz's face.

He glanced at Percy and shook his head. "For once, Mr. Jackson, would you refrain from hurting your girlfriend?"

Percy buried his head in his arms in embarrassment. Sure, Liz was cute, but as a twelve-year-old, he wasn't _that_ into that kind of stuff. Maybe a crush but they weren't dating!

Major Johnston handed out a sheet of parchment paper to everyone. "Okay, class. You're considered the best overall, though looking at the reports, there are people doing much better than you guys. You've got to step it up, especially you Mr. Jackson. There is great potential in mathematics and science, but you are wasting it!"

"Why me?" he groaned.

"Because the best swordsman has to have a huge flaw," Eric teased. "It wouldn't work any other way."

Rose smiled uncertainly from her position at the front of the room. "Mr. Johnston, don't you think Percy is unmatched in sword combat in the entire state? He's easily defeated everyone here, including Eric who's number two. Does being really good at something make you… less good in other things?"

"You sound like you're speaking about yourself, Rose," Major Johnston said with a kind smile. "How about we talk about it after the personality test?"

She nodded.

"Okay, okay! Now, the test is simple. There are seventy-two yes or no questions. You answer yes or no and you'll eventually reach the end of the test. You hand that in and you'll receive your personality scores by the end of the week. All right? Once you get your paper, you may begin."

Percy looked at the test that was handed out to him. He read the first question: _You are almost never late for your appointments_.

_Okay, these aren't questions_, he thought. _These are statements you say yes or no to_.

He marked no for question one.

_You like to be engaged in an active and fast-paced job._

Yes.

_Strict observance of the established rules is likely to prevent a good outcome._

Yes.

_You trust reason rather than feelings._

No.

For seventy-two questions, Percy filled out each of his answers and handed in his test.

Before everyone was dismissed, Major Johnston announced, "Now, your classmates will be decided for next year by these personality tests. Be prepared to have friendships split apart. Thank you and have a nice day!"

At the end of the week, they got their results back.

_Student ID #NY200002  
>New York Branch<br>Perseus Jackson_

ESFP

You have a _strong_ preference of Extroversion over Introversion (89%)  
>You have a<em> slight<em> preference of Sensing over Intuition (12%)  
>You have a <em>moderate<em> preference of Feeling over Thinking (25%)  
>You have <em>moderate<em> preference of Perceiving over Judging (44%)

"What'd you get Liz?" Percy asked.

"ENFJ," she replied. "Slight preference of extroversion. Moderate preference of intuition. Slight preference of feeling. Distinct preference of judging."

"Aaron?"

"ENTJ," he said. "Moderate preference of extroversion. Distinct preference of intuition. Slight preference of thinking. Moderate preference of judging."

"Rose?"

"INTP."

"Eric?"

"ISFJ."

They looked at Liz and Aaron. They had three letters in common. That didn't sound promising. Percy had nothing against Aaron, but he'd prefer if Liz stayed. The weird thing was that when you talked to the two of them, they seemed nothing alike. Aaron was far more extroverted than Liz, used less gut feelings than Liz, and judged less than Liz. And in terms of real-life examples, Aaron was much braver than Liz, but Liz was more realistic and less silly.

In fact, Eric and Aaron were far more similar than the test scores demonstrated. Sure, he was cocky and ignorant just like Aaron, but to a lesser extent. What Percy was confused about was why Eric had gotten introversion over extroversion.

"Well, we don't have to worry." Aaron sounded plenty worried. "We do another personality test at the beginning of next year."

"Yeah." Liz chuckled hesitantly. "That's right. We do."

They stood there in an awkward silence for a moment. A pair of girls were weeping and hugging each other, bawling about how they were going to be separated to due identical results… or _nearly_ identical results.

"Well, whatever happens, we'll be together forever!" Rose said with finality. "No matter what we go through, we'll work hard and be together. Right?" She put her hand, palm up, in the middle of their little circle.

"Right!" Eric was the first to reply. He smiled warmly at the girl and put his hand on top of hers.

Percy followed. Aaron and Liz looked at each other for a bit before they joined simultaneously. Percy looked at his four friends and couldn't help but smile.

_These are the four people I will be with until the end_, he thought. _We'll all work hard to make sure of that. I promise that to you… mom… Paul…_

* * *

><p>October 18th, two months after his nineteenth birthday.<p>

Percy approached the graves. There were already people there. He recognized the girl. She wore denim trousers, a white short-sleeved shirt, and a black wool sweater.

It was a tradition of his to visit the graves of his old friends whenever he visited the Capital's cemetery for Special Operations Force officers. After burying Alexandra Kingham and the two that had recently been murdered—Jeffrey and Tomas—he visited the graves of Elizabeth Edmonds and Aaron Schakowsky.

The girl standing there had the familiar auburn tint to her hair he remembered from third year. He remembered how he'd gotten her kicked out, but when she turned and saw him, her expression saw no sign of contempt or hatred. Her brown eyes gleamed happily as she waved. The man standing next to her wasn't someone he knew. He had jet black hair cut military style and brown eyes. He looked oriental.

"Long time no see, Rosaline Vermont," Percy said. "And I'm assuming that you're…"

The man seemed to realize that he was talking to him. "I'm Justin Chen."

Justin was almost as tall as Percy, and built heavily, but he clearly wasn't someone who truly knew death. They shook hands.

"Justin, this is Percy, an old friend from training," Rose said. "His full name is Perseus Jackson, but if we ever run into him again… call him Percy. He was one of the five remaining Special Ops Force members until two of them were killed earlier this week. I hope the other two are all right."

Justin nodded. "Yeah. I've been fortunate to not have any family die. But I was put on the case for the two that were murdered. I'm an Enforcement officer, by the way, Percy. Before you ask, I'm twenty. And second, yes, I'm Rose's boyfriend."

Percy chuckled. "I wasn't going to ask about that. I could tell just by looking at you guys. But, now that you mention you're an Enforcer, please tell Johnston to recruit the two boys, 'kay? I don't want them to be hurt. They'll be useful to the division."

"I'll keep that in mind," Justin said. "What about you?"

"I've got my own little journey to embark on," he said. "I don't need to join another occupation. Besides, I'm organizing a conference with Zoë and Henry to divide the responsibilities. But enough of that. I'm here to mourn my friends."

"I'm sure they were wonderful," Justin said, looking back at the tombstones. "The way Rose describes them makes them sound like wonderful people."

Percy glanced at the girl. "Really? Even though we got you kicked out?"

Rose shrugged with a smile. "I never would have found Justin if I hadn't gotten kicked out. And besides, I knew I wouldn't be useful to anybody. I've always been more academic. I should have just gone to grade school and become an architect that way. Besides, don't you remember our parting conversation?"

Percy's eyes went wide. "Wait, you're an architect? That's… that's amazing! I had a friend who wanted to be an architect."

"Annabeth?" Rose asked. "That girl I heard you mention once during the first year?"

He nodded. "I haven't seen her since she left for training camp in State 3. And I know nothing about her whereabouts, but if I know anything about her, if she's not a part of the Hunters, she's definitely an architect."

Rose chuckled. Percy chuckled along with her, keeping an eye out.

"Don't worry, Percy," Rose said. "I still hold no resentment against you for what you did. You were right. We shouldn't have been doing what we were doing. And before you ask, Justin knows. He's been in a couple relationships before ours so he knows all about… that kind of stuff."

"Sex?" Percy asked bluntly.

"I was trying to avoid using that word but yeah…"

"Wherever that Eric guy is," Justin said grimly, "I hope he's making good choices. From what Rose told me, he became arrogant and power-hungry and possessive, so…"

Percy didn't remember Eric as power-hungry or arrogant. Cocky and maybe a little over his head but not power-hungry. Possessive? Definitely. He said, "If there's one thing I hope, it's that Eric is moving on with his life. Just as I moved on after Aaron's and Liz's… deaths. My goal hasn't changed anyway. I'll find out who was responsible for my parents' deaths."

Rose sighed sadly. "You sound just like you did in second-year. That brings back memories."

They stood there in silence for a couple minutes.

"Well, it looks like we should go," Justin said. "It was nice talking to you, Percy."

"You too."

Rose and Justin waved goodbye, and the former said that they should meet up sometime in the future and talk again. Percy agreed and promised to hold up to that promise. A week and a half later, Percy received a grim report from Henry Johnston. A couple was murdered outside a pub late at night, the arms of an oriental man wrapped around an up-and-coming architect with auburn hair.

Percy never saw them again.

* * *

><p><strong>I threw the entire first-year of the training camp in one go! I hope I didn't confuse any of you. I know I skipped over many details, but the following chapters will follow the same format... or at least similar format. Only a few stories will be told about each year. These long chapters are due to the fact that many things did happen; however, I'll try to keep them as concise as possible. Or perhaps my style of writing doesn't allow concise stories. Anyway, I'd just like to mention that I made a change to the poll (as I put in the forward message [top of the chapter's page]). Don't forget to look at it!<strong>

**Thanks so much,  
>SharkAttack719<strong>


	4. Training: Year 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.**

**READ "CRIMSON MEMORIES" (one-shot) to get a general idea of what this story will be led to. HOWEVER, if you don't want to, you don't have to. It may spoil a couple things. But it definitely gives a heads up as to the general direction of the story.**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I changed an option on the poll from "Heartbreakingly Heroic" to "Heartbreaking but Heroic" after a friend asked me to clear it up. Thinking about the ending I had wanted for this phrase, he determined that "Heartbreaking but Heroic" was a better way to put it. If you voted for "Heartbreakingly Heroic" and did not expect "Heartbreaking but Heroic," please send me a private message telling me you voted for that but want to change your vote to something else. Thank you very much.**

* * *

><p><strong>4 – IV<strong>

In the second year of training camp, everyone takes a personality test to determine the group of people they train with. The personalities are mismatched so that there aren't two people with nearly identical personalities. In that year, some people are kicked out if they don't have the will to keep going. Most of the year is dedicated to studying the histories of each glory occupation and to close combat. The final test done at the end of the year is to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each individual to see what job would suit them the best.

Percy was glad that they toned down the archery and foot-racing and math and science to focus on history. That was something Percy could deal with.

The five glory occupations began in the 1770s when revolutionaries overthrew the imperial monarchy that had been ruling Olympia and replaced it with a Senate-based republic. Immediately, to protect Olympia, the government initiated the Pentagon Project. The wall along the western border of Olympia was rebuilt around the old wall from new material, and a wall surrounding the Capital and its surrounding countryside was constructed from the ground up. Replacing the Royal Army was the Olympic Guard to guard the interior walls. Replacing the Imperial Olympian Army (which was basically the weaker version of the Royal Army) was the Border Guard to guard the western border. A new united police force was created called the Enforcement Corps who were all under the control of one main commander, generally someone granted the position of a colonel or general rank in the army. Knowing the Enforcement Corps could only do so much, the Hunters were formed, partially in honour of Artemis, the hunting goddess, but also in part to help the Enforcers track down culprits. The final group they created was the Special Operations Force. These were men and women originally tasked with bringing down criminal organizations, revolutionaries, and preventing the government from any severe harm. The SOF was the government's source of protection: assassin's to track down their enemies, detectives to solve on-scene crimes, and spies to look into criminal networks.

For the most part, the jobs have stayed the same over the past couple hundred years. But originally people were drafted into whatever occupation they wanted. If they wanted to be an SOF, they could be an SOF. There was once a limit of a thousand, but during the purge of 1829, all half-bloods in the SOF were killed, bringing the number down to two hundred.

In fact, in both purges since the 1770s, all five factions played a role in the fighting between half-bloods and mortals.

During the 1829 Purge, the Enforcement Corps were ordered to arrest any half-blood they found. Somehow, documents were copied and personal information was revealed of every half-blood in Olympia. They were recognizable at any corner. The Enforcement Corps arrested them at a rapid rate. In four months, twenty-five thousand half-bloods were arrested. Two thousand thirty-two were sentenced to death and forced to drink hemlock poison in front of their families.

When a rebellious group of half-blood parents rose to power, they revolted against the anti-demigod government. It was a bloody affair, and though it lasted for only one year, over thirty-thousand lives were lost. But only eight thousand were half-bloods. The rest were parents and their supporters. On the side of the government, there were fifteen hundred losses. It was a mere fraction of the lives lost on the revolutionary side, but nevertheless, it had an ever-lasting impact. The president at the time was assassinated by a demigod-sympathizer in the Senate. A new president came to power and ruled that "This silly affair shall come to an end." The purge was over. Half-bloods could continue living.

Despite the heavy losses, it was nothing compared to Y2K. And Percy had lived that.

The year… 2001. Over 32,000 half-bloods had been killed since spring 1999. It was late August, just days after his birthday. He was playing in a local park with his childhood friends. The only one he could remember was Rachel. It was near sunset, and there was a definite sense of fear within the populace about the maniacal actions of President May Castellan.

One of the parents that had been supervising them at the park saw Olympic Guards and Enforcement officers coming down the street. Deciding quickly, the three parents there ushered the kids home. Only Percy was a half-blood, but they feared they would be punished because he was among them. Still, they were good people and didn't want the government killing him.

It was a time of fear and oppression. And anyone who tried to attack the government or sabotage it was killed. After all, the majority of the population didn't see it as a grave issue. Most supported the anti-demigod stance. Many resented half-bloods because half-bloods tended to be more enhanced in various areas. Though half-bloods made up more than twenty percent of the top fifty, they only managed to take one or two spots in the top ten. It was a bizarre thing.

In fact, the whole idea of half-bloods against mortals seemed ridiculous. If mortals work hard enough, they can surpass half-bloods. It just so happens that half-bloods have enhanced abilities. They still have to work hard to make use of it.

Still, Percy was a victim of the oppression. No, he wasn't killed. Obviously. But there were two people at home who he loved very much.

"Percy!" Rachel called out. Percy couldn't remember if Rachel had a crush on him back then, but she was always worried for him. "Be careful. Don't get hurt!"

Rachel's father never really liked Percy. He was an anti-demigod businessman. As Percy grew older and realized the true nature of Mr. Dare's job, Percy could say that he didn't really like him either. Despite Rachel's constant worrying, Mr. Dare would always tell her that Percy wasn't worth her time. As if to rub salt in the wound, Mr. Dare would say it in front of his face.

The odd thing was that during the summer between first and second year, Rachel had sent him a letter regarding her father. Mr. Dare was trampled in a stampede of horses the summer previous and was only being kept alive because of half-blood healers: Apollo kids. Rachel's father was a stubborn man, so Percy didn't have high hopes about the changing of his mindset.

Anyway, back in 2001, Percy was escorted home by one of the parents, the father of a quiet boy, through the back alley.

"Don't want guards coming down the sidewalk asking about you," the father of the boy had said. "They won't see you if you enter from the backyard."

The man had helped him over the fence and waved goodbye. He quickly walked out of the alley and turned the opposite way of the house. It was a small duplex, meaning that one building was split into two and two families lived in the building. Percy strode through the backyard, nervous from the urgency of his friend's dad.

The closer he got to the house, the louder the voices became. They were faint at first, as if they were a part of the background scenery. But as he crept closer to the window of the side that his parents owned, the voices became louder and louder. The window was shut tight, and though he could hear voices clearly, the words were muffled. He could make out arguing and strange, unfamiliar voices. Percy feared the worst, but when he looked in, it was just another businessman.

Percy watched his step-father, Paul, shake his head. After a couple minutes, the man angrily stormed out of the back kitchen and out of the house. Percy's mother, Sally, was sitting with her back facing him, so he couldn't see her expression. But he could sense the mood. It was tense.

He knocked on the back door. His mother opened the door, and when she saw it was him, all worry dissipated from her face and she smiled. "Percy, why don't you just play in the yard for now? I'll start baking some cookies."

There was evident tension in her voice. But Percy agreed. That was a first. Normally, Percy didn't like to obey orders. He wanted to do things his own way. His mother's tone cautioned him otherwise. It was unnaturally shaky.

Ten minutes passed before Percy heard voices again. This time, he could hear more than loud cussing. And for some reason, the window was cracked open.

"Where is Percy Jackson?!" bellowed a whiny voice.

His mother was the one to respond. "I told you, he is at the park playing with his friends!"

"We have notes saying that he is a half-blood and should be put down!" the voice growled. "If you cooperate with us, there is no need for me to use force, Sally."

"I don't need to cooperate with you, Gabe." His mother's tone was icily cold. "Besides, I already told you all I know."

"What's the report, Eddie?" said the man who was called Gabe.

"Um…" a timid voice muttered shyly. "Group of kids reported leaving the park."

"Exactly! So, Sally, your son is not at the park right now. We are tracking the parents right now, and from what the last report said Percy isn't with them. So, is he here? I shouldn't have to use force, Sally. This should be an easy choice. Either all of you die, or just the boy."

"You're only doing this out of spite!" Paul shouted angrily. "All of your men are hesitant to kill the boy."

"True, true." Gabe was silent for a moment. "But you realize once he turns twelve, the government will find him. It's always worse for children under the age of twelve because as soon as they hit twelve, May will know about them. Execution time. I'm just making it easier on him. To be brought before the government and executed… now that is an honour that brat doesn't deserve."

"Someone will rise against May and succeed," Paul growled.

Percy crept to the window and looked inside. There were a bunch of men in armour, though the one sitting down looked like he was about to make his armour explode. His face itself showed signs of obesity… but that stomach. Percy's stomach grumbled unhappily.

There was a flash of recognition on his mother's face but she did her best to hide her worry.

But it didn't escape Gabe. The pudgy faced walrus didn't bother turning to look at the side, but Percy knew that the man knew of his presence. "You know what?" Gabe said evilly. "Perhaps the boy's death can wait. After all, there is no escaping once he hits twelve. But to show him I mean business, I will show him something he _cannot_ forget."

He stood up and drew his sword. All of his henchman drew their swords as well.

Paul grabbed a kitchen knife and lunged at the armoured guards, but the one he was aiming for easily sidestepped the attack. He plunged his sword into Paul's gut, and with a sickening sound, he withdrew the weapon. Paul fell to the ground and Percy's mother cried in anguish.

For some reason, Percy couldn't move. He was rooted to the spot. His fingers wouldn't even respond. His breathing became heavier and more laboured as he watched Paul bleed on the ground.

With deadly speed, Percy's mother darted forward, her own weapon in her hands. She whipped her frying pan and slammed the weapon against the head of the man who'd stabbed Paul. Gabe mercilessly stepped in as his comrade collapsed to the ground, his nose crushed and his eye cut. Blood trickled out of his ear. With a wide slash, he slashed her arm off, causing her to collapse to the ground.

Repeatedly, he attacked her, cutting her badly across all parts of her body. There was no doubt about it. She was dead. Then he turned his attention to Paul, who was struggling to get up. Without hesitation, he beheaded him. He kicked Paul's head, sending it flying across the kitchen. Gabe examined his friend's condition.

"Hm… looks like she hit you pretty hard…" Gabe said. "I'll get the Enforcers to come help you. It wouldn't look good if we were carrying your injured body out. It'll look like we did something. You understand, right?"

There was no answer, but Gabe smiled anyway.

"Good." He gestured toward the exit. "Come on. The rest of you follow me."

This attack, seemingly out of no reason, was over.

Once Percy was sure they were gone, his limbs unfroze and he dashed into the kitchen. He grabbed Paul's head. His expression was a bloody mess. It looked as though he was shocked, but his right eye was dirty and bloody from where Gabe had kicked. Percy felt the warm blood dripping down his fingers. He croaked, "Paul? Paul?"

There was no answer. Percy knew there wouldn't be an answer. But he wasn't thinking straight. He couldn't believe what had just happened.

Dropping the head, he crawled over to his mother's body. The blood was soaking through his pants. His vision was filled with red. When he looked down at his mother's body, he trembled with fear, anger and terror. He didn't know what else to feel. He was terrified. He wanted this all to be just a dream. But he touched his mother's face and knew that it was real. Her hair was stained with blood. A deep cut ran along her neck.

He sat there, on his knees, for a good five minutes before he heard the shuffling of metal. Percy turned around. There was a figure crawling away, and Percy remembered the man Gabe had left behind. The guard's sword lay on the ground next to him, but he paid no attention to it. He looked as though he was trying to crawl away.

A feeling he'd never felt before crept up his chest and he slowly made his way to the sword, trying not to alert the guard.

He soon as he touched the handle, a tingle went up his arm. But before anything could happen, there was a knock on the door. He froze, just as the guard froze. Percy heard the front door swing open and a man say, "Jeez, Paul, lock the door when I leave. _Di immortales_."

The guard reached for his gunpowder weapon. Percy, still rooted to the ground, watched as the man appeared in the doorway, and the guard pull the weapon on him. Percy realized that it was the businessman Paul was talking to earlier. Fear shone in his eyes as the guard pointed a gunpowder handgun at him. The guard only had one shot. He had to make it count. But before he could shoot, Percy unfroze.

Percy launched at him, slicing off his hand. He cried in pain, and Percy caught a glimpse of his destroyed face. The boy realized that the guard could only see out of one eye. But before he could stop himself, Percy pivoted, as if it were a natural movement, and thrust the point of the sword forward. Percy didn't know how fast it was, but the guard was caught… off-guard. The point of the sword entered his neck, and the metal slammed through the bone. Percy felt the sudden resistance against his momentum, but felt the metal break through without fail.

To add more trauma to the experience, Percy was forced to follow the stranger to an orphanage where he was smuggled through and kept safe for the next year until May Castellan was poisoned. He never got to see his parents again. And he wasn't there when they were buried. Like most of the victims of the purge, they were given a name and the dates of birth and death on their tombstones. There were no messages like the ones given to the mortals unaffiliated with half-bloods. It was almost as if they meant nothing to Olympia, as if their existence was pointless.

Ever since that day, Percy vowed to find Gabe Ugliano and kill him and his friends.

That's why Y2K was the worst history unit he had to endure.

"That's my story," Percy told Liz. "I'm not sure how you feel about me now that you know I'm a murderer. But… that's why I've been avoiding you guys for the past while. It's just… it's brought back a lot of crimson memories."

Liz pursed her lips. "It's never good to be a killer… but that's how this world works. With the way we've decided to rule the world, we use our own ideals and beliefs to shape what is wrong and what is right. I can't say that what you did was right, but I know that what you did wasn't necessarily wrong. Your parents were killed. You were angry, spiteful. And they didn't seem to do anything wrong except for, in your mother's case, mothering you, and in your step-father's case, protecting you. I guess… I guess that experience would be traumatizing for anybody. That blows the story about how my father died right out of the water."

"You took that better than I thought you would," he mumbled. "I'm even horrified at myself for what I did. To kill people… that's something we have to deal with. But I feel horrible even after killing someone who'd helped kill my step-father."

Liz gave him a sad look. "The books always say feeling bad about or regretting murder is better than being a serial killer but… And those young teen books we're given to read always have the hero win without killing innocent people unless the situation calls for it. And somehow, the main characters survive until the end. I don't understand why."

"Because the authors are assholes," Percy said bitterly. "Remember the book about the olden times? About how the Earth, Gaea, was an old and evil lady? Making her the antagonist is okay to us because she's not human. It depicts her as the crazy hag and us humans as heroes. I know it's just one example, but still… What's the definition of a hero?"

Liz thought about it. "A person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal." She sounded like she was reading out of a dictionary.

"Those are modern heroes, right?" Percy looked up at the afternoon sky. "_Good_ guys. But remember the heroes of the past? Like, the ancient heroes? Except for Perseus, they had tragic endings. They did great things… they did terrible things… and in the end, they died. Why? Though it's depressing, it feels so real. It feels as though the stories are communicating that it doesn't matter how great your achievements are. You will die in the end. And more often than not, you die with many regrets. What is the truth of this world? Why do writers like to give a sense of hope to us? Why are heroes made out to have such happy endings, when in truth, a hero should know more pain than any normal person would ever see in three lifetimes? A hero… A part of us wants to be a hero. I guess that might be part of the reason."

Liz looked away. "As depressing as you can be, Percy, you seem very honest and true about your feelings. I mean, I already got to know you over a year, but this is really the first time I've seen you like this. Of course, I don't agree with you to the fullest extent, but I understand what you're saying. Sometimes I feel that way too, as if our desire to be heroic blinds us from the true nature of heroism. Not that I know what the true nature of heroism is… but… inferring from what I know…"

Percy chuckled. "I guess thirteen-year-olds aren't cut out for deep thinking."

She shrugged. "I guess not."

After a few minutes, some approached them from behind, his shoes scraping against the concrete pavement. Percy turned to face Aaron.

Aaron had a sly smirk on his face. "Guess where I just caught Eric and Rose?"

Percy frowned. This was a radical change in topic. "What are you talking about, Aaron? Did you do something again this time?"

"They were in the janitor's closet making out!" Aaron exclaimed loudly.

Liz sighed. "That, in my opinion, is the most clichéd place they could possibly be making out."

Aaron winked flirtatiously at her. "Well, why don't we try some place more original? Just you and me. We can dump Percy off in the room and go somewhere nice and—_gah_! That hurt!"

Liz's face was a fiery red. She'd punched him in the gut. "Don't flirt with me, pervert!"

Percy tried to laugh. He honestly did. But the conversation he'd had with Liz was weighing on his shoulders like lead weights. He couldn't possibly be happy after thinking about such things. Because after all, none of them had been what he'd been through. None of them were half-bloods. None of them had witnessed death like he had. None of them had even had true murderous intent, not to mention actually killing someone.

Percy looked at his hands, the hands of a killer. He knew that he'd chosen his path when he made that pivot. How he'd done so was a mystery to him, but he figured he had natural talent for swordsmanship.

As Liz followed Aaron, Percy suddenly stopped. Both of them turned and gave him a curious but worried look. "Percy?" Aaron asked, hope tinged in his voice. "You're coming, right?"

"I—I think I'm going to go train a bit, since we have a bit of free time," Percy said numbly. "I'll… I'll see you guys at dinner."

"We'll come with you," Liz blurted out before she could stop herself.

Aaron grabbed her shoulder, his expression serious. "Let's just let Percy train. It's best if he relieves some stress. We'll see ya at dinner, buddy. Make sure you kick some automaton butt." With a forced grin, Aaron turned and left.

Liz gave him a worried look, but she took forced herself to smile before turning away and heading off in the direction of the sleeping quarters.

Percy immediately clutched the handle of his new sword, Anaklusmos. On his birthday, a woman who looked ten years older than him had given him the sword. She called herself Zoë Nightshade and claimed she was a Hunter. Percy believed her when she told him she was a half-blood and that the sword was a gift from his father. Clearly, she wasn't his sister but acted more like a messenger than anything else.

As he made his way to the training arena, he remembered the grave words she'd told him: _Anaklusmos. The current that takes one by surprise. And before you know it, you have been swept out to sea._ There had been a lingering sadness in her eyes as she gave him the sword, but he accepted it. It was the first blade he could use without ever feeling off balance. All the other swords were either slightly too long, too short, too light, too heavy and so on. Still, he managed to beat everyone with ease. With a balanced sword…

Percy set the automatons on the highest difficulty and armed them with a variety of weapons. There were three with bows shooting blunted arrows. Five were armed with leaf-shaped swords like his own and a small shield. Three had the classical hoplite gear: a spear and a round shield. And ten legionnaires with Western rectangular shields and short-swords called a gladius.

There was no fatal difficulty on the automatons, so there was no setting where the robots could kill anyone, but on the hardest difficulty, they had the power to knock even the most well-trained soldier if they landed a correct blow.

Usually, trainees didn't test the hardest difficulty until fourth year but…

Percy watched as the automatons whirled to life. They lined up, preparing to attack him. Percy closed his eyes in concentration and listened for movement. As soon as he heard the bowstrings stretch back, he darted forward.

The wall of automatons opened up for just a moment, and three arrows came flying through. Percy dodged two of them and deflected the third with Anaklusmos. The wall closed back up, and Percy gritted his teeth. Instead of charging at the weak side of the legionnaires, he went to his right, where the line of soldiers was the strongest. They held two lines of five each.

What the automatons weren't programmed to compute was the power of the sword that their opponent was using. Percy's new sword, Anaklusmos, was bronze in its hue, and glowed with magical power. It was a gift from Poseidon, Zoë had said. If so…

He met the wall of shields and waited for the shield to part where the automaton would strike quickly with his sword. When the automaton attacked, Percy lunged and sliced the robot's hand off. In its confusion, Percy rolled to the outside and drove his sword into the robot's exposed side. Without hesitation, he moved to the next automaton, which raised its shield to protect itself from the blow.

The only problem with metal robots is that it's hard to twist their hands. Percy wished he could have snatched the legionnaire's weapon away, but knew it would have been a futile attempt. Instead, he used the automaton as a shield as the archers launched a volley of missiles. They slammed into the automaton's back and it shut off. Percy grabbed the large shield and blocked two strikes from two other soldiers.

Using the shield as a battering ram, he smashed into the other legionnaires and leaped forward as they fell back from his attack. Parrying a strike, he twisted his blade into the heart of a third legionnaire. Before he could turn to face his next opponent, an arrowhead smashed into the side of his ribs. He cried out in pain, but recovered as best as he could.

The battle continued for three minutes as Percy dodged, ducked and weaved his way through the automatons. No second-year should have been doing what he was doing to the top-level automatons. It was just so unlikely… it seemed like an unnatural phenomenon. But Percy could feel power flowing through his veins the longer he held his sword. It almost felt like it was feeding him power.

But his fatal mistake was when he took a chance and tried to take down the last archer. He sliced down the archer with ease, but didn't account for the soldier behind him. A heavy blade slammed into the side of his head and he was knocked out.

Still, Elizabeth watched with amazement. She wondered how Percy could do that well in sword fighting. Even just nine spots behind him, she would be no match for the skilled half-blood. Hell, even Eric wouldn't be able to beat him.

She figured it was just to compensate for his lack of mathematical and scientific skills. But it wasn't as if Percy was dumb. He knew things. He thought about things critically and deeply. But a part of her couldn't help but think that the death of his parents, and the nature of the deaths, had truly twisted him. Still, Percy managed to continue. He managed to persevere through all of the hardships and pain and horrors that continued to haunt him to this very day. Still, he smiled and laughed and played. Even if hadn't been showing that as much lately, she knew he was very capable of laughing and smiling.

For some reason, she found it alluring. She couldn't take her eyes off Percy Jackson. They were already friends, but she desired more. Every time he spoke to her, she felt happy. Every time he got close to her, she felt chest pain. She knew thirteen was a little young to be talking about love… but she knew thirteen was old enough to be thinking about kissing and romantic things like that. If Eric and Rose were kissing, why couldn't she and Percy?

She knew she was thinking selfishly, but she wanted to be with Percy.

_No_, she thought. _I'm not worthy of him yet. I'm not a good person. I just sit and listen to you. I haven't done one good thing_.

She notched arrows and fired them at the remaining automatons. Destroying them with a little difficulty, she strode over to Percy's unconscious body and knelt beside him. She could see his developing features and the effects of puberty with a dispersed collection of pimples. But she could also envision the strong features of a handsome young man.

She found herself leaning down. Shaking her head, she shook out of it.

_No. I shouldn't take advantage of him like that. Slowly. That should do it, right?_

Her heart thumped in her chest. Her face suddenly felt hot as a sudden image filled her imagination. She realized she could feel his breath on her cheeks. His breath smelled odd. It was a mixture of sour breath with that of an ocean breeze. The sour breath was a little gross, but the ocean breeze soothed her nerves.

The vivid image appeared again in her mind. She felt her face get even hotter.

_Aren't boys supposed to be the ones having these kinds of thoughts?_ she thought, feeling embarrassed.

She shook her head and cleared her thoughts. With a huge grunt, she heaved his body to the infirmary. Laying him down as gently as she could on the bed, she called for a nurse. The daughter of Apollo who'd organized their running heat in their first year appeared. She didn't say a word, but left for a moment and came back with a cold towel and a chair.

Liz thanked her silently and sat down. She pulled Percy's shirt off, not because she wanted to stare at his upper body, but because she wanted to cool down the bruise she knew had formed at his side. She applied the cold towel, just for the moment. She knew the nurses would handle him properly later, but she was glad she had the chance to stay here for the moment.

Liz knew nothing about medical practice and figured she wouldn't be able to help Percy other than putting a cold towel on a bruise, but somehow it made her feel useful.

"Keep training," she whispered into his ear. "Remember about our promise to join the SOF."

And as if he could hear her, he smiled in his sleep.

* * *

><p>Percy geared up.<p>

The final physical activity for second-years was a large game of capture the flag. They had already taken all of their career tests and final exams in the week previous, so this was just a game for fun. Still, Percy wanted to win. And so did his friends.

The game was between the different classes of Team 1. In total, there were six classes. Many people had been kicked out over the past couple of years, so members from other Teams had joined for this year. The capture the flag teams were classes 1, 3 and 5 against classes 2, 4 and 6. As part of class 1, Percy and his friends were on the blue team.

Despite all their worrying the year before, the group of five—him, Liz, Aaron, Eric and Rose—were all put back together in a class. Percy wondered if Mr. Johnston had a say in determining the classes. Surely, he knew they were a great team.

Their game setup was rather unorthodox.

Most people were grouped up so that there was weapon diversity. Most groups were people who didn't really know each other before second year but had grown accustomed to each other. The general groups consist of two frontline warriors, an archer, and two support soldiers. The frontline warriors generally have large shields to protect themselves, and short swords to hack and jab when their enemies get too close. In other words, the frontline warriors are basically the group's shield. The archer usually stands back and uses either heavy or light arrows. Heavy arrows are used more to just hit the target. Light arrows are used for accuracy and precision. The archer has to aim for chinks in the armour, and the blunt-tipped arrow will easily injure them. No sharp-tipped arrows are permitted in capture the flag. The support warriors have an assortment of weapons, but most generally use longer leaf-shaped swords or spears.

Their team consisted of solely of warriors.

Rose was the least armoured because she had the least stamina and combat ability. She wielded a short sword, had a dagger strapped to her side, and carried the lightest shield they could find. Her iron armour was minimal, leaving the entirety of her legs and arms and her sides exposed. The armour only covered her front and back. She wore a traditional Corinthian helmet.

Aaron and Elizabeth almost looked identical. Both wore mail armour with scaled bronze overtop. Left-handed, Aaron had a metal arm-guard on his _left_ arm while Elizabeth, right-handed, had a metal arm-guard on her _right_ arm. Their shield arms were left unguarded as they each carried large circular shield called a _hoplon_. They wore greaves and Corinthian helmets. However, they didn't carry the traditional occidental swords. Instead of a dual-edged leaf-shaped blade or a straight blade, they carried different variations of sabres. Liz held a Makhaira, a single-edged sword used to slash at enemies commonly made in the ancient days, before the year 200 B.C.E. Aaron held an oriental sword called a katana. It was not meant to be used with a shield but rather with one or two hands (often one). Still, Aaron was good with the strange single-edged, deadly curved arc of metal.

Both stood behind Rose. Liz stood to her left. Aaron stood to her right, their shields protecting the outsides. They held their single-edged weapons across their bodies, a seemingly unnatural position. And truly, it is, but the plan flushed out by Liz and Rose makes that irrelevant.

In the front were their two most offensive warriors.

They were two drastically different warriors. One was a natural swordsman. The other was skilled in close combat with anything longer than two feet. Despite neither of them carrying shields, the spearman carried five spears: a dory spear, a pilum and three throwing javelins. The dory was a traditional Olympian weapon used by spearmen. It was almost nine feet long with a sharp metal spearhead. The rear end of the spear was another sharpened point, a backup just in case the spearhead was damaged or fell off. The pilum was a Western weapon. It was shorter by a couple feet but was just as deadly. Meanwhile, the swordsman carried only two weapons: a leaf-shaped sword that was about three feet long, and a short Western dagger called a pugio. That was all the boy needed.

They were also dressed differently. Due to the common use of straight blades, the swordsman wore a thick bronze breastplate. He also wore leather greaves to protect his legs. As he'd grown accustomed to fighting those automatons, he didn't wear a helmet. The only thing protecting his head was the hood of a cloak.

The spearman was dressed with simple mail armour covering his chest. He wore gloves and leather elbow pads. He had no greaves but had a Corinthian helmet, his dark eyes gleaming in the late afternoon.

They were stationed on the eastern side of the playing field. Two other groups of five were going to follow them through the forest. The other two groups were from class three. The defence of the flag needed the other three groups from class one, a group from class three, and a group from class five. The rest were on offence. The remaining three groups from class five and one group from class three were to provide enough distraction for the actual hunting party to head out.

In the distance, the hunting horn sounded, and the game of capture the flag began.

Silence enveloped the three groups as they waited for the signal. After half a minute, a loud, piercing whistle echoed through the forest. The three groups took that as the sign to head out. As the leader of his team of five, Percy signaled to the other groups to split apart. One group diverted to the center while the other surged forward faster.

Percy kept his group in check, making sure they were taking their time.

Eric's eyes glinted hungrily. "I can't wait for the fight to come."

Rose laughed quietly.

Eric turned to wink at her.

Yeah… they were dating. Weird…

As they continued through the forest, the sounds of clashing metal grew louder and louder. Percy checked on the other two groups. As planned, they were heading straight to their intended destinations. It was odd that there was such a lack on defence.

When they got within range, the group that had diverged toward the center charged into the battle that had amassed in the middle of the woods. It was a large scale battle, dozens of trainees fighting to unconsciousness. Percy thought it would be best to avoid battle. So did the rest of their group. Eric was disappointed but didn't argue.

They rendezvoused with the remaining group of five and delved further into enemy territory.

"Something doesn't feel right." Liz voiced all of their opinions. "Maybe we should pull back."

"No, we have to keep pressing forward," the leader of the other group said. "It's always better to have a small group bringing the flag back with the rest protecting their flanks."

They kept surging forward.

The further they got, the worse the feeling became. Percy had no idea that trainees were capable of such stealth that he couldn't sense any of their presences. Or maybe he wasn't being alert enough. His head rattled with possibilities.

Soon, they found themselves in a clearing. In the middle of the clearing, on a high branch of the tree lay the draped banner of the red team.

Percy couldn't see anyone. Then he realized that this was the perfect ambush spot. As it was spring, the trees were thick with branches and leaves. Unless they were moving, it would be very difficult to spot anyone hiding the trees.

"Make a ring around the tree!" Percy ordered. "Can anyone climb the tree?"

Someone from class three volunteered. "I'll go!" she squeaked.

Percy nodded. "Go!"

Like a squirrel, she darted up the tree. Grabbing the banner she looked down. Suddenly she froze and screamed as she leaped off the branch. In the empty space she used to occupy, a dozen arrows slammed into each other, smashing everything to splinters. No one reacted quickly enough. She landed with a painful grunt and a loud _snap!_ Screaming in pain, she clutched her leg.

Out of the bushes, a huge group of defenders surrounded them. They were outnumbered two to one. And with an injured person…

Percy grabbed the banner from the girl and threw off his cloak. He exposed his head, but the easiest way to get the flag to the border wasn't to protect the girl who would've worn it. The flag had to be tied around a team member's neck and brought across the boundary line, which was a creek in the middle of the forest. Percy was glad that the banner was about the same size as a cloak. And almost the same weight too.

Gripping his sword, he faced the group of defenders closing in on them. Glancing over at his four teammates, he questioned them with just the expression on his face. They nodded, agreeing with his plan.

"Protect her!" Percy bellowed to the class three group. "We'll get the flag to our side!"

And raising his sword, Percy charged into the battle, his friends right on his heels.

The defenders weren't accustomed to their fighting style, which was good for them. Both Aaron and Liz split to opposite sides, taking on two or three people each. Using themselves as distractions, they opened up a path through the middle for Percy, Eric and Rose. Both Eric and Rose took an opponent as they surged forward. That left a highway lane wide open for Percy.

He glanced at his friends, grinned, and took off.

A determined fire burned in his chest. Now, no one could stop him. The second two enemy soldiers appeared in his vision, his training kicked in. Catching them by surprise, he whacked one soldier across the head, knocking him unconscious. The other attacked but he was no match for Percy's superior sword skills.

Soon, his four friends caught up to him.

Like a wedge, Eric led the charge. Just because Rose wasn't a great fighter didn't mean she was any less scary running alongside her boyfriend. Forming a triangle, Eric was the point. On his flanks just behind him were Percy and Rose, their swords primed and ready to strike. On the outside flanks were Liz and Aaron, their shields on the outside, just as they had been when forming up at the beginning.

As if they were a well-trained, elite unit, they slammed into the lines of defenders with no resistance, plowing through them as easily as cutting through a field of wheat.

And together, they raced across the boundary line as classes 1, 3 and 5 converged at the creek with a great roar of cheers.

* * *

><p><strong>This is year 2 of camp. There's not much I have to say about this. If you have any questions, don't forget to ask me!<strong>

**SharkAttack719**


	5. Training: Year 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.**

**READ "CRIMSON MEMORIES" (one-shot) to get a general idea of what this story will be led to. HOWEVER, if you don't want to, you don't have to. It may spoil a couple things. But it definitely gives a heads up as to the general direction of the story.**

* * *

><p><strong>5 – V<strong>

Their happy lives didn't last.

Third year was the year when everything fell apart. It was the year when he and Liz began fighting. It was the year when Aaron first became sick. It was the year when Percy, valuing justice over mercy, got Eric Lansing and Rosaline Vermont kicked out of camp.

The older Percy got, the colder he became. If he was asked about that, he'd just reply by saying that he's matured.

Percy didn't know why Liz was always so agitated around him. Every time he asked her a question, she spoke snappily and never went in depth with the answers. She was becoming rather annoying. Percy wasn't sure when it started, but he had a feeling that the change had been gradual. It wasn't as if one day she was suddenly rude and it all started from there. Their relationship had deteriorated slowly.

Percy figured that the catalyst for change happened sometime during their summer. For most of the summer, they hung out and played around cheerfully. They celebrated her fourteenth birthday in June. They celebrated his fourteenth birthday in August. But somehow it wasn't as cheerful as her birthday.

When the training year started, Percy devoted his entire time to practicing against the automatons. This year was the speciality year. According to the test done at the end of the year, Percy was compatible with four of the five jobs. The only job he didn't have enough skill to accomplish was being a Hunter because it required proficiency in archery. When they received the results in the new school year, Percy noticed that his percentages were weird.

Percy was twenty percent compatible with the Special Operations Force. On the flip side, he was ninety-five percent compatible with the Enforcement Corps. And he guessed that may have been one of the causes of their split. Liz was the opposite of him. She was highly compatible with the Special Operations Force and highly _in_compatible with the Enforcement Corps.

When they spoke to each other it, Percy suggested that they try out different paths.

They all lived in the same dorm, as they always had, but now there was this tension between the five members. Eric and Rose were isolating themselves more and more. They weren't present often, and a big rule that had been told to third years was the prohibition of any sexual activities. Kissing was fine, though PDA was to be toned down, but if anyone was caught involved with sexual activities, they would be banned from camp forever. When Percy was bored, his thoughts lingered to that, but he didn't think much of it.

A month into the year, Aaron came down with the flu. Or, at least, that's what they thought it was. He was put in intensive care for a whole month before his condition improved. By spring, Aaron was back in full force, but he was behind on a lot of things. His illness had made him shrink a little. And when they all welcomed him back, Percy was the least attentive. Sure, he was happy his friend was okay, but he needed to focus on his mission. After all, he realized that his mission was becoming ever closer… his mission to find Gabe and kill him. Once he became a part of the Enforcement Corps, he would find Gabe and arrest him. No, even better, Percy could try to get into the Special Operations Force and murder Gabe.

The more Percy learned the worse life seemed to become.

Fourteen was no mature age. That much he knew. But fourteen year olds were trusted to make wise and smart decisions.

Looking up at Colonel Johnston, who retired from being a teacher once he was given the position as commander of the Enforcement Corps, Percy heard Johnston's last words to him in years: "If you do decide to become part of the Enforcement Corps, I will await your entry. Just as practice, you could help control third years at camp. This is the wildest year, speaking from experience. This should be a good opportunity to lay down the law with an iron fist."

As a fourteen year old, Percy was impressionable. Even as he matured, he was still impressionable. And he took Johnston's words too literally.

The day that he was invited by classmates to smoke this illegal drug called cannabis, he made his first move. Checking the rules, he found that the use of illegal substances for recreational purposes was against the rules. So, with an iron fist, he turned them in. They were kicked out of camp.

Perhaps that was when things truly went wrong.

Perhaps Aaron had been the glue holding all of them together. And when he got sick, there was nothing to hold them. Percy found no pleasure in jokes anymore. He began to seriously question what he would do to avenge his parents. After all, that was his end goal. To find May Castellan… Gabe… anyone who killed half-bloods… Percy wanted to annihilate them all.

This new resentment was something unexpected, but at the same time it was driven by factors inside camp.

Percy's graduate year was the worst year for half-blood attendance. It had started declining ever since Y2K, but it hit rock bottom in his year. After all, eight-year-olds were the best targets… not too old, not too young… easily distinguished, easily dealt with.

And throughout his three years, despite Liz claiming otherwise, people alienated him because he was a half-blood. When he tried to talk to someone, they would stay as far away from him as possible. Nobody liked talking to a half-blood. Percy remembered that there were many anti-demigod mortals out there, and considering the vast majority that year were mortals, half-bloods weren't exactly "cool."

_A monster. Demon. Devil. Alien._

They called those things… and some worse. He didn't even want to remember them. But they throbbed in his head no matter what. Despite all the pain he'd been through, the mortals still hated him. If they hated him, he would hate them back. He wouldn't show them mercy. If they wanted to call him a demon, he would be a demon.

During the midterms, Percy ended up destroying every single automaton available that day. That only made things worse. He received Rank 1 but he also received cold stares, fearful glances and terrified expressions.

Not even Liz seemed to be there for him.

Yes… that's it… everything went wrong because of them. At least, that's what he tried to convince himself. No, he was being selfish. He was being conceited. But the words hurt more than any blade could have. Why? Because words couldn't kill him.

It was at its worst two days after Aaron got better. Percy ended up knocking him out accidentally in a drill. He'd hit him hard enough to make him start bleeding.

And, of course, the blame was pointed at him.

Maybe it was because Mr. Johnston left. Maybe it was because he was no longer supervising that nothing seemed to go his way. Liz seemed to have grown tired of his cruel behaviour. She didn't even bother defending him. She just stood there and watched, her expression indifferent and cold.

"It was an accident!" Percy pleaded.

"We weren't supposed to go all out, you moron," some guy snapped. "You could've seriously hurt him. And this is two days after Aaron's gotten better. You might've just sent him back to the intensive care unit. Useless half-blood."

"Stop calling me that," Percy said through gritted teeth. "You have no idea what I've been through."

"Pussy," the boy spat. "My mom died. Did I cry? No. Did I ever whine? No!"

"She died because she had a disease!" Percy growled. "Your mom knew she was going to die. She accepted it. My mom was _murdered_."

"They're dead either way," a girl said coldly. "What camp is supposed to teach you is how to control your emotions and move on. If you can't do that, you're not worthy of staying here. You should be part of the four hundred thousand that leave this year. It doesn't matter if you're good at swordplay. I hear your academic grades suck. Brainless—"

In a flash, the girl was on the ground, out cold.

Percy stood there, his chest heaving, tears forming in his eyes. His fist wasn't even red. She went out too easily for him. But the others sneered at him. They jeered at him, poking at him when he was most vulnerable. Percy looked at Liz, whose pained face showed she had the urge to help but was trying to suppress the feeling. He looked for the teacher, who was nowhere to be found. Why would anyone let teenagers practice with deadly weapons by themselves?

Hatred burned in his chest.

"Baby."

One simple word flipped Percy's switch.

The original boy who had been insulting him spoke with a voice full of malice. But he was not someone who could withstand Percy's blows.

Instantly, it was a pounding. The boy was on the ground, still conscious. But every time Percy's fist connected with his face, the closer the boy came to unconsciousness. Nobody stepped to help the boy. They were all cowards. They could only use their mouths because they couldn't beat the half-blood with weapons. He was too strong. And nobody wanted to sacrifice their consciousness to bring the beast down. And so, they all watched in horror as Percy beat the boy until his nose shattered. But Percy kept pounding.

There was a horrible look in Percy's eyes. And despite feeling that himself, Percy kept punching. He was angry but the emotion he felt the most was sadness. He was alone. Not even the ones closest to him were helping him now. Just like it had been back then… the year Annabeth left the orphanage. Nobody talked to him. Even those who'd hung out with him and Annabeth the year before didn't return when Annabeth disappeared.

They abandoned him. Everything had been taken from him. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that people could run their mouths and not be punished. Freedom of speech? Percy despised that.

"Stop!" came a commanding voice.

Percy stopped his punch from landing. Instead, he hit the concrete ground next to the unconscious boy's face. Percy felt pain jolt up his arm and the flow of blood across his knuckles, but he recognized the voice.

Liz stared at him. Her eyes showed mixed emotions, as if she didn't want to be helping him but couldn't help it. Pain flashed in her eyes, and Percy immediately felt guilty. Still, she turned and left without another word. Anger and seething expressions filled his vision as he slowly followed her.

Percy looked at his bloody knuckle. The image of Paul's detached head filled his mind and he clutched his head in pain.

He turned back to the group of mortals one last time and took in their hateful expressions. Guilt was replaced by anger, and Percy had a daring thought… something out of the moment… _All mortals can just die_.

With the crack of his knuckles, Percy turned sharply and followed Liz, the dark thoughts consuming his mind.

* * *

><p>This anti-demigod prejudice wasn't just during that year. It was only because there was no one to lean on that time.<p>

Percy didn't want to know what it felt like to have friends that ignored you. In the end, they were friends, but every time he passed by them, they didn't even spare a glance… except for Aaron. It lasted until the end of the year. Bitterness toward him and other half-bloods swept through the camp. By the end of the year, most of them were gone. There were just over twenty-five hundred left in State 2 by the end of the year.

It also happened to be in the last week, just before the final cuts from each camp. Percy'd heard that five needed to be cut. And he'd caused two of them.

"Liz?"

Fortunately for him, at that point he and Liz were on speaking terms.

"What do you want, Percy?" she sighed.

"Have you seen Eric or Rose around?" he asked.

She hadn't been expecting that question. She furrowed her eyebrows. "Actually… I haven't. That reminds me: where are they? They said they'd be preparing to pack up. Apparently the ranks have been determined, and I'm sure they both made it in."

"Yeah," Percy agreed. "Top students for sure."

Liz smiled bitterly. "Not as good as you, though."

Percy frowned at the tone in her voice. "What's that supposed to mean? You sound as if it's a bad thing that I'm ranked highly."

She shook her head. "No. It's not that. I just wish I could place higher than you, but ever since you hit puberty, it's like you've been beating me in everything."

"I'm still going through puberty," he pointed out.

"My point exactly!"

"You're still going through puberty."

"Yeah, but my growth stops soon. Don't you know anything about…?" She stopped herself and just gestured to the empty air between them. "You know… _When_ it happens?"

"I'm not an expert," Percy said while rolling his eyes. He looked at her body and felt a little warm. "I can just… tell."

"Pervert." But the embarrassed expression on her face was cute. "_Fourteen_," she reminded him.

He wanted to sigh. Even after all of this pointless arguing, he never stopped thinking of Liz in a variety of ways. He blamed his hormones. But Liz was cute. That was something not many people denied. Including Aaron… though his friend tended to shy away from her for some unknown reason when it came to that.

"Whatever… what were we talking about again?" he said, trying to change the subject.

"Eric and Rose probably being top students and you beating me in a lot of things now."

"Oh, yeah, that. Um, why don't we head back to the room and check to make sure our bags are all packed?"

"Sure."

They walked back in silence. Percy tried to keep his mind occupied with other thoughts and averted his gaze from looking at Liz. He didn't want to creep her out. Also, he didn't want to have those nasty thoughts and demonstrate, publicly, what he was thinking. He subconsciously stuffed his hands in his pockets and covered his private parts.

But when they got back, they were surprised to see Aaron standing at the door, his eyes wide and his figure rooted in place. Percy and Liz shared a look before jogging over to their friend. Neither of them spoke, afraid that he would explode at them. As they approached, Percy began to hear weird sounds. The sound of their footsteps muffled it, though. Aaron turned to face them, the shocked expression still evident on his face.

"What's the matter?" Liz hissed in a quiet whisper.

"Are you guys hearing what I'm hearing?" Aaron's voice held fear. He looked confused, as if he couldn't comprehend something. No, he looked confused, as if he was struggling to decide what to do. Percy had seen that look on Aaron once before during a sparring match when he had the opportunity to strike Percy down.

Percy put his ear to the door and nearly shrieked. But Aaron slapped his hand over his mouth. When Liz stepped closer, her eyes went wide, and Percy slapped _his_ hand over _her_ mouth.

These were sounds forbidden from camp. Right now, Eric and Rose were breaking an all-important rule made when co-ed rooms were assigned at the beginning of the year. Percy had always known why the rule was put in place. It was to teach them self-restraint. It didn't matter if there were boys and girls in the same room. To join the occupations was to learn how to restrain sexual desires. And in the end, Percy thought it was wrong for fourteen-year-olds to do such things.

His vision flooded with anger and he reached for the door. Liz grabbed his hand, her eyes full of warning.

"You know it's the right thing to do," he hissed at her through Aaron's hand.

Her face contorted into a grimace and she pulled his hand off her face. She gritted her teeth for a moment, contemplating the best action, before sighing and nodding. As much as she wanted to protect her friends, they were breaking an important rule in both the camp's morals and her own. She couldn't accept people that young doing those sorts of things. But she hoped they would be given mercy.

"Aaron, go find a supervisor," she ordered.

Aaron allowed a sad expression to take over his conflicted one. It… it was the right thing to do. He ran down the hall, his footsteps fading away the further he got from them.

Percy looked at the door, preparing to bust it down. When Liz put her hand on his shoulder, he turned and looked at her expression. It was the same, cold expression she'd given him this entire time. It probably should have made him angrier, as it had the past few months, but he was surprised when he felt guilt.

"Yeah." He spoke quietly. "You're right. I need to calm down. Just stand guard at the door. I'll block the glass window."

She nodded.

Then he swung the door open and shouted, "Illuminate!"

Immediately, the magic lights activated according to one of the five voices they were programmed to listen to. On the ground, sprawled across a blanket were Rose's and Eric's naked bodies. Percy didn't stare at them for too long. As they looked up, stunned, Percy strode across the room and blocked the window exit. Liz looked at them grimly from the door.

Percy looked at Eric's face, and then glanced down, but scowled and quickly looked back up. Eric's expression was unreadable. Though he should have looked like a deer caught in headlights, he looked entirely different at the same time. Rose, on the other hand, was completely stunned. Her face was red from their exercise.

"Percy…?" Eric's voice was tentative, as if wary of striking a nerve. It was too late. His actions already did that for him.

"Sorry, Eric. Sorry, Rose. But you know this is against the rules."

Rose shut her eyes and moaned. "I told you, Eric. This was inappropriate!"

"You consented," he growled. "We've been doing this for months and we haven't been caught. I've been careful to make sure that we—"

Liz's face turned a ghostly white. "For _months_?"

"Eric, you should've known better than this," Percy said, remembering Liz's expression. He didn't resort to violence. "Why? Was kissing not enough for you? Were you that desperate to lose your virginity? That you were willing to break a rule that has a severe punishment? If you wanted this, you shouldn't have done it where Liz, Aaron and I… and pretty much everybody has access to."

"_I_ should have known better than this?" Eric sneered. "_You_ shouldn't have intruded. This is my personal time. I can do whatever I want!"

Percy knew Eric liked to feel superior but he didn't expect it to be to this extent.

Eric moved to the door frame where Liz stood. He smiled sweetly at her and politely asked her to move. She shook her head in denial. He tried again, this time with a little more force. She refused again. He tried a third time, but Liz had none of it. In fury, Eric grabbed Liz by the throat and began to shake her. He reached down to yank her denim trousers off.

Percy stepped forward when, before he could react, Liz kneed Eric in the balls. His exposed genitalia took quite the hit and he fell to the ground, convulsing. With a swift kick to the side of the head, Liz knocked him out cold. Her eyes burned with fury. Fortunately, she hadn't been hurt. But Percy couldn't say the same for Eric.

The half-blood looked at Rose, who was silently weeping on the blanket. Guilt flooded through him, and ignoring the fact that she was stark naked, he put an arm around her shoulders. He would have felt better if she shoved him off, blamed him for getting her kicked out, as it was inevitable. But she leaned into his embrace and cried some more. Percy looked up at Liz, who had a solemn expression on. Perhaps this was what Liz had wanted all along from him. Instead of trying to take power, he should have stayed compassionate… like his old self. The one who would do anything for revenge except for preying on the innocent.

The ones who broke rules deserved to be punished. But for all the people he hurt because he laid down the rules too harshly. The friendships torn apart… the relationships ended… He'd caused them all.

He was to blame.

But at the same time, everyone else was to blame as well. It wasn't his fault that he was a half-blood.

"As long as you have close friends who believe in you and will stick by your side through thick and thin," Percy said to Rose, "you'll be fine out there. You're a brilliantly smart girl. You'll find a job out there that suits you. I'm sure you'll make a name for yourself despite this."

Rose sniffled but smiled through her tears. "And you, Percy… Listen to your own advice sometime, 'kay?"

"The sinners, huh?" a disappointed voice came from the doorway. It was Hannah Plymouth, a very caring and understanding supervisor and teacher. "All right, dress yourself, dress the boy, and come with me. You three—" She gestured to Percy, Liz and Aaron. "Come with me as witnesses. Just for recommendations and such. You know, for showing the ability to stand up against the wrongs your friends have committed."

Their parting was quiet. Percy never spoke to Eric ever again to his memory, and the goodbye to Rose was heartfelt but short.

"I wanted to believe what I was doing was all right," Rose admitted guiltily. "I don't know why, but ever since the beginning of this year Eric became… I don't know, more possessive? I don't know the right word for it but I was scared because he threatened me, saying if I didn't do what he asked, he would find a way to kill me. I just… I didn't know what to do."

"That's right." Liz's expression softened. "You were always the quiet type, Rose. Daring and bold at times but rather quiet for the most part. You could have come to us for help."

"I was thinking about that, but suddenly, Aaron got ill. It didn't seem like the right time. Then, your guys' relationship sort of crumbled—" She gestured to her and Percy. "—and I wasn't sure who would have done a better job at handling the situation. You two always worked together better than you did separately."

Percy glanced at Liz, and the weight of his actions seemed to finally set on his shoulders. He slumped a little, realized how terrible he was being. Was he that weak, deciding the only action to take was to fight back with violence?

"That isn't it," Liz spoke quietly. "Percy's never been good with words." She smiled faintly. "I guess that's why he relied so much on us. And he was a very important in winning us battles. We depended on him. I guess this year just showed us how unprepared we really are if we have to rely on each other so much for help."

"But it doesn't hurt to help," Rose said. "After all, I don't think I would have escaped from this if you guys hadn't rushed in."

Despite her words, Percy couldn't get the lump out of his throat. "All I did was get you kicked out of camp. No matter what I value, I still feel bad about it. Though hearing that Eric forced it upon you kind of helps with that."

"It's okay, Percy. I forgive you."

He closed his eyes and tried not to cry. As scared and timid as she was in her situation, Percy knew she had a stronger will than him. To be able to forgive and forget, even though she was forced into it in the first place, was something he couldn't imagine he could do. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Percy put his hand to his forehead and saluted his friend.

She sadly came up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Be careful, Percy Jackson."

And with that, she turned to follow Ms. Plymouth.

"I don't know how that works," Aaron said, breaking the ice. "She's scared and fearful of what Eric might do, but has the guts to kiss Percy on the cheek. In _front_ of you, no less, Lizzy." He grinned, as if hoping it would make everyone feel better.

It worked.

Percy glanced at Liz, and they both stifled their laughter. Eventually, they couldn't hold it in anymore. The three of them burst out laughing. Percy wasn't sure if it was because they _wanted_ to feel better, or if it was for some unknown phenomenon, but the more he laughed, the better he felt. All of the warm memories with these two friends of his flooded back into his system, and suddenly, the jeers and taunts of the others didn't feel so hurtful anymore.

"Let's not depend so much on each other to compensate for what we lack," Percy suggested. "We're all really great students, especially you, Aaron, because you've worked so hard to maintain a high position after falling ill."

He pretended to blush and be embarrassed. "Oh, don't say that. You're _embarrassing_ me." He said it with such sarcasm, Liz couldn't restrain her laughter. The mixture of his expression and tone was too much for her.

After they composed themselves, Liz nodded and said, "Yeah. Let's work together to become the best students possible. After all, we get our predicted ranks in the coming days. We'll be able to find out where we need to improve and where we can help others. I'm not abandoning my promise to join the SOF with you, Percy. And Aaron can join as well. We'll become the top three students of our year. I swear by that." She put her fist at the center of their triangle.

Aaron nodded. "I'm down for that." He put his fist next to hers.

Percy looked at his friends. This was what he'd wanted all along. Why had he abandoned that? Why had he chosen to go down the other path? With a grin, he put his fist in the middle.

"1… 2… 3…!" Liz called out.

"Teamwork!" Percy shouted.

"SOF!" Aaron screamed.

"SOF and Teamwork!" Liz yelled, after the two boys looked at each in confusion.

They laughed once again.

"All right, let's go to bed, boys!" Liz looked at Percy and gave him a brief kiss on the cheek. She began to walk away.

Aaron turned to him and glared. "I envy you so much, man. Kissed on the cheek by two insanely cute girls."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have turned Mika down," Liz called over her shoulder.

Percy stared at his friend. "Someone asked you out?"

His face went red. "I didn't mean to turn her down. I mean, I just—I wasn't thinking straight. I kind of—I just said—" He cut himself off. "Whatever, screw that! I'll talk to her again tomorrow. If she isn't just fond of me because I was sick, then maybe I'll go on a date with her. Just leave me alone and stop staring at me like that!"

"Mika? Mika Kawasaki?"

"What about it?" he snapped.

Percy grinned, seeing an opening. "She's pretty and nice," he said simply, before following Liz.

His grin widened when he heard the conflicted and angry scream coming from behind him: "You already have Elizabeth so don't even think about it, you damn dirty dog!"

Yeah… he'd survive. He had to. Because despite his desire for revenge against the government for what they did to his parents, and the horrible dreams he had, the one thing that helped him keep his sanity… and the one thing that helped him stay tied to the world was the feeling of love and companionship. As Aaron liked to say, he was his "brotha from anotha motha." They were close friends, almost like brothers, and despite what Percy kept thinking, Aaron had never truly left his side.

"No more deaths," he promised himself. "From now on, in exchange for being there for me, I'll protect you all."

* * *

><p><strong>I feel like the mood swing is too rushed. But this all happens in year three. And if I spend too much time on the training, the <em>actual<em> plot would be delayed even further. That's right. I'm still developing the characters. Although you might have a different version of Percy in your minds, I think you get the general gist of what I'm attempting to portray him as. If there is anything you're concerned about, leave a review or send me a private message.**

**Thanks a lot,**

**Sharky**


	6. Training: Year 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.**

**READ "CRIMSON MEMORIES" (one-shot) to get a general idea of what this story will be led to. HOWEVER, if you don't want to, you don't have to. It may spoil a couple things. But it definitely gives a heads up as to the general direction of the story.**

* * *

><p><strong>6 – VI<strong>

Fourth year. New camp. New home. New friends.

That's what it was supposed to be. And in some ways, it was. Percy was there early on that September 1st. He didn't have a home to go back to, so he had stayed and accustomed himself to the camp.

The Capital was a lot different than he'd imagined. The fourth year camp was on the outskirts of the Capital's boundaries. Like, literally on the outskirts; the western boundary of the camp was the wall that surrounded the Capital's territory. Everyone there was much older, and everything was far dirtier than the State 2 campground.

The morning of September 1st, he was standing by the entrance of the camp where the fifteen-year-old kids would be dropped off. The first kid he saw was a girl. She looked unfamiliar. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, and loose strands of her hair dangled like spider webs in front of her eyes. As she approached, she averted her eyes, as if afraid to look at him.

Her father was watching her from a distance. He wore an Enforcer's uniform. Her mother was also there. She wore commoner clothing.

After learning what commoner had meant throughout history, Percy wondered why they kept the name. Commoners were usually poor people, but nowadays, everyone who wasn't a specialized officer (meaning the five jobs) was called a commoner. Even the scientists were commoners. It was just a general term for the common people.

She approached, and Percy timidly squeaked, "Hi!"

She looked up and smiled shyly. "Hi."

"I'm Percy Jackson."

"My name is Alexandra Kingham."

"Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, um, you too."

She glanced back at her parents. They were giving her encouraging smiles, as if telling her to not be shy. Percy wondered where she was from if she was so nervous like this. Judging by her expression, she wasn't a member of the Capital's main campgrounds. She looked about as mystified as he felt on his first day here. Percy looked out at the girl's father. He gave him a stern look, as if to say to not do anything inappropriate but also to help her and be her friend.

"Am I allowed to go inside?" Alexandra asked.

Percy turned back to face her. "Uh, well, sure. But I'm kind of expecting friends, so I won't be following you. If you feel okay going in by yourself, by all means, be my guest."

She looked down. "Friends, huh? I—I guess I'll stay with you a little. No point in going by myself."

Percy nodded, unsure of what to say.

Alexandra stood there silently, waving to her parents. They were on horseback, Percy realized. They waved back briefly before galloping off into the distance until he couldn't see them anymore. Soon, everything returned to quiet, only the distant sound of banging and smashing from the various armories. The campground was _huge_, so there needed to be various armories to be able to handout weapons to all one hundred thousand trainees.

They stood there for five minutes, the cold, morning air penetrating through his thin jacket. He tried to make small talk with Alexandra, but he couldn't think of anything other than yes or no questions for a while. She answered briefly each time.

Then he finally asked, "Which camp are you from?"

"State 4."

"Really, that's cool!" Percy was actually interested. "What's State 4 like? I always hear that although being the stormiest part of Olympia, it's nice and hot all the time. You rarely get snow, right?"

Alexandra smiled nervously. "It's… nice, I guess. I've never been outside of State 4, so I'm not sure how to compare, but generally you've got the gist of what State 4 is like. It's much colder here than my hometown."

"Where's that?"

"Typhonas."

"Oh, cool!"

"What's your hometown?"

"New York. It's legally called Eboracum Nova, but everyone says New York. It's a lot easier. Using modern tongue is better than whatever language the Far West used to use when they came over here."

"The largest city in Olympia, huh?"

"Yup. It's nice for a sizable portion of the year, although we experience storms like you guys. It's a lot colder up there than what you're probably used to."

"It's a lot colder _here_," she noted. Percy noticed for the first time that she was actually shivering.

"Why didn't you wear a thicker jacket?" he asked. "If you knew it was going to be colder, why did you not pack accordingly?"

Her face went red, most likely in anger, and she opened her mouth to retort, but before she could say anything, a voice echoed from his left: "Percy! Percy!"

The said boy turned and saw Elizabeth Edmonds running toward him. Behind her was Aaron Schakowsky, lugging a couple of huge suitcases. Liz was holding a small backpack. He grinned as Liz came up to him and greeted him with a giant hug. He hugged her back and laughed as Aaron struggled toward them. He got within five feet before collapsing, the bags falling on top of him.

"You're evil," Percy told Liz.

"Oh, he'll be fine." Liz waved it off like it was nothing. She leaned in close and murmured, "So who's that? Your new girlfriend?" She acted as if it was a joke, but the tone in her voice was tense.

Percy blinked and turned to Alexandra. He jumped in surprised. "Oh, sorry! This is Alexandra Kingham. She was the first one to arrive this morning while I was waiting for you guys. She's a nice person, so it'd be nice if all of us could get along with each other, you know?"

Liz faced Alexandra and smiled. Unlike before, the bright smile and cheerfulness reached her eyes and tone. "Hi! I'm Elizabeth Edmonds from Philadelphia, State 2. I'm a friend of Percy Jackson's. You can call me Liz. The boy behind me here is named Aaron—"

"Don't say my last name," Aaron croaked.

"—Schakowsky," Liz finished, ignoring the groaning boy on the ground. "He doesn't like people saying his last name because he finds it's absurd. I don't necessarily think Schakowsky is weird, but Aaron's weird himself so…"

Alexandra nodded silently.

She was fairly quiet. She kind of reminded him of Rose, except she had blonde hair and blue eyes instead of Rose's auburn hair and brown eyes. Percy also didn't know if she was solely mentally strong or if she was physically strong as well. She looked really athletic, but it wasn't that easy to tell how fit she was through her clothing, despite its lack of thickness.

That reminded Percy: "Oh, hey, Alexa? You still cold?"

"Alexa?" Alexandra said in a confused tone. "That's… a rather odd nickname. I've never been called anything other than Alexandra or Alex."

"Are you okay with being called Alex?"

She shrugged and mumbled. "People do it all the time."

Liz glanced at her for a moment before turning to Percy. "Hey, I think I'm going to have a little one-on-one girl-talk with Alex here. Why don't you guys go ahead and help with the bags and stuff? You know, help us ladies as gentlemen."

"You're a she-demon," Aaron growled.

Percy gave her a questioning look, but her closed expression was a good enough reply for him. He grabbed his and Alexandra's bags and began to carry them into the camp. Aaron stood up, shot Liz a dirty look, and followed him into the camp.

As they walked, they had a natural conversation. That meant Percy was prodding Aaron the entire time about girls. Well, one girl in particular. They'd started going out at the end of last summer, and from what Percy remembered, she had also made it into the top hundred thousand. Her rank was somewhere in the five hundreds. Still pretty good.

Like Aaron, she wielded a katana. But that was because her lineage came from the Orient. Mika Kawasaki and Aaron Schakowsky had been dating for the last three months. They were a weird couple. Percy just couldn't see Mika changing her surname if they got married. Honestly, Mika Schakowsky sounded weird to him. After getting used to Kawasaki, nothing sounded right as her last name other than that.

"How are you and Mika?" Percy asked.

That seemed to cheer Aaron up. "Oh! Great! We met during the holidays quite a few times. She even stayed a whole week at my place."

"Were your parents home?" Percy asked suggestively.

He went red. "My grandmother was with us the entire time. And I'll have you know, Mika's not that kind of person. And after what happened at the end of last year, I don't think I'm up for that either. What's with you now? It's like you don't mind _that_ stuff anymore."

"Calm down, I'm just kidding," Percy said.

"Since when were you the type to kid around? Sarcasm? Definitely. But genuinely kidding around isn't like you at all. Hyperbole and exaggerations for sure... but..."

"Hey, people change."

Percy didn't want Aaron to find out the actual reason why he was acting different. Percy never actually felt like a fifteen-year-old kid. All of his thoughts were bloody and depressing, and generally, he wasn't like a kid. He never really got the chance to talk about teenage guy stuff. He constantly trained and trained to become better at fighting, and he studied as much as he could so that he could get a really high rank.

Coming into fourth year at rank three wasn't good enough for him. He wanted to be number one. After all, he wanted to beat Liz, who was projected rank one, and make the government notice him.

"So, how'd _you_ spend _your_ summer?" Aaron asked him.

Percy looked up at him. "Well, I moved in here and began training, like usual. I also studied a lot. I mean, most people have some sort of entertainment that they have to relax their mind, but I don't really have that, so I just resort to studying and training."

"Anything new?" asked the other boy.

"Well, I started learning to fight with my left hand," Percy said nonchalantly. To him, it wasn't that big of a deal. Being able to be ambidextrous was something useful in battle. Just in case one arm was immobilized, the other could be used to fight as well. "I've got the hang of it. I think I'm about half as good left-handed as I am right-handed.

Aaron, on the other hand, was solely left-handed. "What? Ambidextrous? No way! I want to fight you and see how good you are left-handed!"

"Sure, after we drop off the bags, we can head to the central arena and practice."

And they did so.

After they dropped the bags off, they went to the arena situated in the center of camp. It's the largest of the five arenas at the camp. The center arena has the capacity to seat over five thousand spectators. A huge number of people can watch the battle raging on in the center. At first, Percy had been intimidated by its grand size, but now that he had grown accustomed to it, he figured he had the advantage over Aaron, who was seeing it for the first time.

Percy, who had, for some reason, began using a back scabbard, drew Anaklusmos over his shoulder as he made his way to the center of the arena. He tossed the weapon back and forth between his hands before keeping it in his left hand. He waited for Aaron to reach the center before getting into a fighting stance.

As a rather unorthodox fighter, Percy led with his left foot and kept his right foot back. His stance was fairly open, short and rigid. He kept Anaklusmos pointed forward in his left hand, the blade like an extension of his arm. Normally, this would probably limit the possibilities that the combatant could pull off, but Percy somehow knew how to strike at any certain way from this stance.

Maintaining his composure, Aaron got into his stance. He got into the most common and simple katana stance: the sword was held with both hands in front of the center of the body. His knees were slightly bent, ready to take off at a moment's notice. His elbows were also relaxed, not rigid like Percy. This way the fluidity would be better. Aaron liked that feel with his sword, especially because the katana was a very efficient cutting sword.

But sometimes Aaron forgot his oriental training and went back to the common occidental way of fighting: hack, slash and stab. Aaron broke quite a few katanas when he ended up losing control. Percy wanted to take advantage of that.

"Ready?" Percy asked.

Aaron nodded.

"Alright. Let's go!"

Percy struck first. Aaron did exactly as Percy expected. Percy had pulled back and opted to a wide swing to Aaron's side. Aaron anticipated that with deadly speed and in a split second, brought his katana across his body, swung it to make contact with Anaklusmos, and then spun like a tornado and came down with a slash aimed for Percy's shoulder.

It wouldn't have been a serious injury, but it would've meant that Percy wouldn't have been able to practice with his left arm because of the cut. Instead, he raised his sword to block the strike, and when Aaron's blade clashed with his own, he stepped forward with his left foot and drove the butt of his sword into Aaron's face. The lefty stumbled a couple steps, stunned by the stupidly daring move made by the half-blood.

Percy slashed again with an open, wide-arc swipe, which Aaron parried easily. But just as quickly, Percy brought Anaklusmos across his body and slashed forward. The point of the sword narrowly missed Aaron's neck. Percy cursed when he saw Aaron duck back. If Aaron hadn't backed up that far, Percy probably would have severely injured his friend.

In his moment of hesitation, Aaron raised his blade toward Percy's neck. If that blade got within an inch of his neck, the fight was over. He would lose. In a real battle, it would be a fatal strike. Just in time, Percy twisted out of the sword's path to his left, the side he would have been accustomed to as a righty. But it didn't give him a disadvantage. In fact, if he struck right now, he would win. But he didn't, wanting to continue the fight. And besides, Aaron would be angry about losing that easily.

The katana came about like a whirlwind. Each strike was so fast Percy could barely keep track of them. It was a silent blade of murder. Unlike Anaklusmos, which would become an arc of destruction, the katana didn't have that sort of aura. Its aura was menacing in a different kind of way; concealed murder, as if it could strike out of the shadows and leave a fatal but quite unnoticeable wound. And the blade itself was very, very strong.

Aaron was keeping his cool and attacking with oriental technique. He wasn't going to give in easily. Percy's sword didn't have the speed of Aaron's, and Percy found himself on the retreat. Fortunately, he began to see the opening as Aaron's attack pattern revealed itself. Percy found himself analyzing Aaron's every movement and every tension in his body as he feinted or struck.

Percy, as a human, had the speed _and_ strength advantage over Aaron in combat, so he needed to exploit these.

Aaron brought his sword across in a strike meant to slice the throat of the enemy, but Percy rolled forward, like he often did when he was cornered. His usual strategy involved switching roles and pushing his opponent into the corner, but without the advantage of using his dominant-hand, he didn't want to risk anything. Instead, he began to run away. In the heat of the battle, Aaron followed him. It was going along just as Percy had hoped.

Now was the crazy part. Percy didn't fight an orthodox style. That meant he never fought using smart, logical tactics. Somehow, skill and luck stayed on his side, and he won many of his battles.

He suddenly stopped, his back facing Aaron. He could feel Aaron's presence approaching before the boy lunged at him with his katana. Aaron knew what was coming as soon as he raised his sword. Percy whirled around and swung Anaklusmos in a wide arc above him. But what happened was much more shocking than anything he had seen before.

When the blade of the katana made contact with Anaklusmos, the bronze leaf-shaped sword went right through the oriental sword. The katana blade shattered, and Aaron was suddenly left without a weapon.

Percy knew that well. Katanas weren't meant to take a lot of head-on damage on its sharpened edge. Despite it being folded several times, even the best katanas had to breakable. That was because they weren't made of celestial bronze. Celestial bronze is a rare metal that renders a blade indestructible against any blade not made of celestial bronze. However, as a gift from Poseidon, not even celestial bronze could destroy Anaklusmos. If Aaron had a celestial bronze blade, he might have had a chance.

Percy didn't beat him with skill. He beat him by breaking his blade.

There was clapping from the entrance of the arena. Standing there were three figures: Liz, Alex and Mika. All three of them were clapping. Percy bowed. Aaron followed suit. Then he quickly rushed over to embrace his girlfriend. They kissed quickly as the five of them converged.

"Hey, Mika," Percy greeted.

The dark-haired girl smiled back at him. "Percy. Skilled fighter as always. Even with your non-dominant hand."

"I kinda cheated." Percy gestured to his sword. "Can't be broken, unlike Aaron's swords." He shifted it back to his right hand and sheathed it in his scabbard. The familiar weight of Anaklusmos settled on his shoulder.

"But still, it's possible for me to win even if my sword breaks," Aaron said. He was clearly impressed. "And you still could have won without breaking my sword. By the way, you owe me a new sword and lessons on swordplay."

"Hey, you know Alex is apparently pretty good with a sword," Liz said. She turned to Alex. "Her predicated rank is five. Aaron, you're one spot behind her, but when I checked out the scores on her tests… she's like me. She's good at everything. Best in State 4 in sword combat. Best in State 4 in spear combat. In the top five in academics in Olympia. Top five for both running categories in Olympia. Top hundred in archery in Olympia."

Percy raised his eyebrows and whistled. "Wow. That's impressive. Nice job, Alex."

She flushed and looked down. "Thanks."

"She's also very modest and was envied by everyone in State 4. All her friends were kicked out and have abandoned her, so she often feels lonely—"

"Don't say that!" Alexandra exclaimed.

"—so it'd be good if you guys could cheer her up," Liz continued without pause. "Maybe even help her find a boyfriend. She's quite attractive. Don't you think so, Percy?"

Looking at Liz and Alex side by side, Percy noticed that Alex was more attractive than Liz. There was just something about her that made her more appealing. Maybe it was because her features were more delicate than Liz's. "In terms of beauty, yeah, I'd agree with you, Liz."

Percy carefully crafted his words, saying he _agreed_ with Liz, directing the fact that _she_ was the one who called Alex attractive. Nobody would get mad that way, and Alex wouldn't take it the wrong way. Percy knew there was nothing necessarily unappealing about Alex, but he just didn't know her enough, so he didn't really want to get involved in anything too intimate this early on in a friendship or relationship.

Still, Alex blushed.

"Unfortunately, I performed better than her on the tests, so she's only fifth." Liz shrugged it off as if it was nothing. She had gotten second in swords in Olympia, second in spears in Olympia, third and ninth in running in Olympia, three golds in the academics in Olympia, and top five hundred in archery in Olympia. Since archery wasn't necessarily a big deal if you were good at swords and spears, her position didn't drop from that.

Percy, on the other hand, had gotten first in swords in Olympia, first in spears in Olympia, fifths in running in Olympia, three bronzes in academics in Olympia, and no place in archery. Percy was still a bit angry that Liz had been predicted as first place. It irked him to no end. He knew she should've been happy for her, but it wasn't as if he didn't want to win. Besides, she'd told him that he was beating her in various things. What a liar.

Apparently beating her in everything meant beating her by one spot in swords and spears and being behind her in almost everything else.

"How is that unfortunate?" Aaron asked, raising his eyebrows in question.

"Because I'm sure Alex deserves better! Here, let me fight you, Alex."

In the distance, the blast of a conch shell echoed. A split second later, a closer sound blared. Percy heard five conch shells in total, the same as there were arenas.

"Oh, looks like we have to go to the assembly station!" Alex said, relieved that she didn't have to fight. "Let's go!" She turned and began to walk away.

"Wait, Alex!" Mika called out. She was holding a piece of paper. "You forgot to grab your number!"

"Number?" Aaron asked.

"You didn't check-in at the front office?" Liz asked incredulously. She gave Percy a pointed look, and Percy laughed nervously in response.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, "Whoops. I had mine. I totally forgot that Aaron needed his."

"It's okay," Mika said with a roll of her eyes. "I already checked him in and I have his number with me. We're all number one. Top 1000 in Olympia. We're in building five in sector six."

Liz pulled out a map of the camp. Percy pointed to the central arena, which was supposed to be shared between sectors five, six and part of seven. Then she pointed at the orientation buildings in sector six. They were actually sporting gyms for three main sports: fencing or kendo, volleyball, and basketball. But they were also the perfect place to hold assemblies due to their vast size and enclosed spaces. The Hecate magic would be easier to hold up.

"This camp's map is so weird," Liz noted.

That is a true statement. The camp's total area is around ten squared miles. Since there are a hundred thousand trainees and a quarter the amount of staff, the division should have been easy: ten sectors a square mile each with ten thousand trainees and twenty-five hundred staff per square mile. But it didn't work that way.

Sectors 4 and 10 were easily the smallest ones, and sector 7 was enormous. Percy knew why because he'd stayed here for so long, but it definitely would have been confusing when seeing it for the first time. The reason for that was because sectors five and seven, the biggest sectors, were the staff buildings were located: the main armories, the shops, the offices. There was a dining hall in each of the sectors, but the storage hold for all the food was in sector seven. The largest arena was located in sector six.

The sectors didn't really have a particular reason for being numbered the way they were, but Percy knew that sectors 1, 5 and 10 were for those who were currently eligible to be an Olympic Guard. Sectors 4, 8 and 9 were for those aspiring to become Hunters or Border Guards because of their location close to the entrance. Sectors 2, 3, 6 and 7 were just for the general public. Those aspiring to become Special Operations Force members often stayed in central areas to be protected.

"Come on, let's go!" Aaron said, grabbing his number from Mika.

They started to make their way to the assembly station. Then made it halfway when Percy realized that someone was missing from their little group. He looked around. Liz was walking next to him, and Mika and Aaron were behind him. But there was no blonde-haired girl with them.

"Hey, where's Alexandra?" Percy asked.

All of them stopped and looked around. For a moment, they were all puzzled. Then their confusion was replaced with worry. Percy knew Alex had wanted to go to the assembly station in a hurry, but he didn't think she would actually run off once she got her number.

Liz sighed. "I guess she doesn't want to be our friend. We should really get to the assembly station. It's not good to be late, especially considering our ranks."

"Yeah." But Percy had a bad feeling.

They were across the street from the building when Liz suddenly stopped. She was staring to the right. Percy followed her line of sight but only saw buildings. Mika and Aaron continued on, clearly not paying attention to them. They were chatting endlessly, oblivious to their surroundings. They entered the building without a word to them.

Liz suddenly ran down the street, away from the assembly station and toward where she was looking. Percy shouted, "Hey! Wait, what are you doing?" And then proceeded to run after her.

She put herself against the wall at the entrance of an alley. Percy heard voices from down inside the alley.

"So, you thought you could escape, Alexandra?" a snappy, aggressive female voice said.

"What'd you think?" growled a whiny male voice. "You could escape from us just because you're in a different tier? Hah! Just because you left all of us in the dust doesn't give you the right to act to high and mighty."

"Please, don't be jealous." Alex's voice was level. She was calm. "Just because everyone in State 4 this year is not performing as well and I'm actually doing all right doesn't give you the right to tell supervisors that I'm cheating. They know you're wrong."

"And that's why we're doing this, you bitch!"

Percy peeked around the corner and saw a large brown-haired boy punch Alex across the face. He suddenly felt angry and prepared to step out to take on these bullies, but Liz was even quicker. She darted around the corner with viper-like speed and kicked the guy's back, sending him flying forward. Percy marveled at the strength in Liz's kick, as he actually went a good few feet forward.

There were four bullies surrounding Alex, who was on the ground, bleeding from her mouth.

Within six seconds, Liz had the sole female bully by the collar of her shirt. The girl looked terrified of Liz. The rest of the bullies were on the ground, staring at Liz in fear. Liz growled, "What do you think you're doing to Alexandra?"

The girl stayed surprised for a split second before she came to her senses. She sneered, "That bitch gets fifth in the nation and all the attention from the hot guys. She doesn't deserve to live. What's your problem?"

The girl tried to attack Liz, but Liz dodged it and threw the girl to the ground. Percy stepped forward as the biggest guy tried to surprise Liz with a sneak attack. Though he was sure Liz knew that it was going to come, he still intervened. As the guy, who was half a foot taller than him, raised his fist, Percy tapped his shoulder. The guy reacted instantly and spun to attack, but after the fight with Aaron, Percy's senses had opened up. Aaron was far quicker and stronger than this large, muscular guy, even with his smaller frame.

Percy just raised one arm to block the attack. As quick as a viper, he used the guy's momentum against him. When he had blocked the punch, he had only diverted the direction of the punch. With an iron grip, he wrapped his fingers around the guy's forearm and twisted downward. Percy heard the cry of pain as the big man twisted to try to subdue the pain. With his free hand, Percy flicked his hand forward and hit him hard against his temple. An easy way to knock anyone out.

The big guy collapsed like a sock puppet.

"You're all demons." A short, stocky boy backed up against the wall. Percy realized this was the one who'd punched Alexandra. Anger burned in his chest. He stepped up to the boy, glaring at him as harshly as he could.

The boy couldn't back up any more. He flinched in fear.

Percy punched the thick wooden wall next to the boy's face. Percy felt a sharp sting travel up his arm and the warm feeling of blood on his knuckles, but he didn't react. He kept his glare harsh. In a cold, steely voice, he threatened, "You lay a finger on Alexandra Kingham again, I will make you wish you could kill yourself."

"I'm sorry!" the boy squeaked. "I just—I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, Percy," Alexandra said softly. "He's got a reason."

Percy looked at her.

She turned to face the boy. "I'm sorry, Ryker. You just… I don't like you in that way. Please, forgive me." She turned back to Percy. "I rejected him when he asked me out last year. Ever since then, he's been bullying me because he's angry that I rejected him. His reasons are valid. I should be the one apologizing to him. His friends are just jealous that I am doing better than them when I my grades in the first year were almost bad enough to get me kicked out."

"You really feel that way?" Percy asked incredulously. "You don't want to throttle this jerk?"

"He is normally kind."

Percy relaxed a little and let the short, stocky boy go. Percy realized that the boy only _looked_ short. In reality, he was only an inch or two shorter than Percy, which meant he was still taller than most girls. He was well built and strong, but there was a timid, kind personality inside. Percy could tell that much just by looking at his eyes.

How he managed to become a bully and how Alexandra managed to be so successful in battle with the kind of personality that would defend even the guiltiest of guilty people was a mystery to him.

"Why bully her?" he asked simply.

Ryker bowed his head in shame. "I wanted to hate her. I tried to force myself to hate her by trying to ruin her face. I wanted her gone so that I wouldn't be reminded of what happened. I—I…" His voice broke. "You don't know what it's like. I know I'm only fifteen, but I'm afraid that I'm in love. I don't want to be reminded of the pain of being rejected."

"That's it?" Liz asked incredulously.

"What do you know?" Ryker snapped.

Liz approached him and hesitantly gave him a warm smile. "First of all, I am a girl, Ryker, and I'm more sensible than most guys, or at least I'd like to think that. And unlike what people think of me, I am very sensitive to these sorts of things. There is a guy I like but he doesn't seem to like me back. For the past two years, I've watched him, hoping that one day he'll notice me. I don't know exactly what you're feeling, but I know that I'm not as brave as you are. I can't confess to him because I'm too scared about what he might say. If he rejects me, I don't know what I would do."

"You mean that?" Ryker asked hesitantly.

"Yes."

After they finished cleaning up the whole mess, Percy went up to Alexandra. "You really are kind-hearted, you know. I think it's nice that we have some positivity around here."

"You think so?"

"Yeah." And before Percy knew it, he was telling her about some of his deepest, darkest thoughts. "I mean, bad things have happened throughout my life. I've been bullied, for real, and I have fought against many people. Life seems so depressing when I don't have my friends around to support me. You know what I'm saying? I've never met anyone so pure, like you."

Alexandra looked down. "I'm not pure."

"Oh, come on. Don't say that. You're—"

"I killed my big brother," she said stoically.

Percy stopped, stunned. "What?" he managed to squeak out.

"When I was twelve and preparing to leave, my brother, who was kicked out of the camp, tried to convince me to quit on the first day," she said. Her tone was unpleasant. It was clearly a bad memory. "When I refused, he tried to exert more force. Remember when you saw my parents? They have black hair. I'm adopted, so my brother never really saw me as a sister. The fact I wasn't related to him by blood was enough for him to try to rape me." She looked away with a downcast expression. "I ran to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and stabbed him to death. My mother came down, saying she heard the argument. She tried to comfort me, but I was scared. That's why I did poorly during first year. Don't tell anybody."

"Don't tell anybody!" Percy exclaimed. "Why the hell would you tell _me_?"

"Because I can sense it. You've killed someone too. I just know it."

Percy froze. No one had heard their conversation.

"Please," she begged. "Tell me who you killed. Tell me that it's not okay to be a killer. Tell me that I'm a demon." By the end, she was screaming in anger and grief. "Tell me that it's not right to kill my own brother, regardless of what he did!"

She fell to the ground on her butt, though her knees rested on the ground in front of her bottom.

Percy knelt down beside her with a gloomy expression. "My parents had just been murdered. He was left for dead by his comrades to make it look like my parents were murderers. He tried to escape, but I killed him. I stabbed him right through his neck. I was eight years old. And, no, you shouldn't have killed your brother, just as I shouldn't have killed that attacker. But it doesn't mean they didn't do anything wrong. Murder and rape are both horrible crimes."

"Do they know?" Alex asked. "About you?"

Percy nodded. "They do."

"Will it be okay if I tell them?"

"Yeah. I'm sure it'll be fine. But let me accompany you. It'll be better for you if I'm there."

She sniffled. "O—okay. Thank you, Percy. _You're_ the one that's kind. I hope—I hope we can become good friends. In return, I'll help you with Liz, okay?"

He went red. "You could tell?"

She chuckled through her tears. "Yeah. You might have the guts to kill, but you sure don't have the guts to tell Liz that you like her."

Percy scratched the back of his neck. "I guess you're right."

He helped her stand up. Liz came around the corner and glanced at Alex. She frowned, "What did you do, Percy?"

He put his hands up in surrender. "I didn't do anything!"

"Yeah right," Liz snorted.

"He didn't do anything," Alex confirmed. "In fact, he was comforting me. Percy's a very nice person. A lot nicer than I expected."

She hugged him tightly, and he became increasingly aware of something pressing against his chest. He suddenly felt hot as Alex looked up from her position in the crook of his neck. She gave him a discreet wink. Percy glanced at Liz, who was red in the face. Her previous look of concern turned to an unfamiliar expression. Percy looked down and felt the brushing along his chest and became hot again.

Suddenly, Aaron turned the corner, Mika by his side, and a supervisor Percy recognized as Mrs. Hansen.

"Well," Aaron said with a smirk. "Never mind about you guys being late. _This_ looks interesting."

* * *

><p><strong>Now, I have decided. This is the ExT3rminate route. I had originally named this story "ExT3rminate" but I've changed it so that it's called "The Assassin's Revenge." Considering the poll at the moment is resting on the "Heartbreaking but Heroic" option, that is the "ExT3rminate" route. Different things will happen in different routes, so after I'm done this story, I might move onto a different route. Same premise, different result.<strong>

**Anyway, enough of that. Tell me what you guys think of this chapter!**

**Um, question of the chapter: How do you feel about the Blood of Olympus? And the ending? Success or no? Enjoyed it or no?**

**Have a great day,**

**SharkAttack719**


	7. The Owl and the Eagle

**Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.**

**READ "CRIMSON MEMORIES" (one-shot) to get a general idea of what this story will be led to. HOWEVER, if you don't want to, you don't have to. It may spoil a couple things. But it definitely gives a heads up as to the general direction of the story.**

**RESULTS FOR THE POLL ARE UP! The route chosen by you guys is the ExT3rminate route, which I guess I've been planning this entire time.**

* * *

><p><strong>7 – VII<strong>

Percy stared at Henry Johnston in disbelief.

"Rose and Justin are dead?!" he screamed.

Johnston nodded with a grim expression. "They were found outside that bar. I'd sent the boy to celebrate but I guess… They didn't return when I expected them to return. Their bodies were found in the dumpster. I assume the killers wanted the scene to be crude. They left the bodies in that position."

Percy clenched his fists and slammed them down on the table. "Gods-damn it!" He cursed Deu5 M0rti5. "I'll slaughter them all!"

After everything he'd been through everyone he cared for during these past seven years from the beginning of camp was dead. And many had fallen to the gang, Deu5 M0rti5. Percy wondered why the government wasn't doing anything to stop these horrible gang members. Mentally, he cursed Luke Castellan, the current president of Olympia. He felt like breaking something.

"They were innocent," Percy growled. He felt his throat choke up. His voice cracked. "They did nothing wrong. They didn't deserve to die."

Colonel Johnston put a hand on his shoulder. "You've seen a lot, Percy. I commend you for your resiliency to keep going after everything. But you know more than anyone, as an assassin, that most people don't deserve to die. In fact, those who commit crimes can still be good on the inside. It's a matter of corruption and their beliefs and morals. How many people have you killed? Can you say that every single one of them deserved to die? Imagine me, a veteran. I've killed hundreds. And I don't even remember their faces. Just their voices. The guilt weighs on me today, but there's nothing you can do about it. If they are dead, they are dead. There is no way to revive them."

The half-blood gritted his teeth. Johnston was right. There was no point in all this killing. But Percy still wanted to do it anyway. He remembered what he'd told the two remaining eighteen-year-old SOF officers: _Humans are like demons; they are the worst kind of animal and will often corrupt themselves. But at the same time, humans are like angels; some will give you happiness unrivaled by any amount of money or power, which you can return. That's what makes humans unique._

Percy knew the path he treaded was not morally just. He killed to seek revenge. He killed because of his personal sense of justice. And he knew he was a monster.

"Percy, do not think that," Colonel Johnston said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You are not a monster. Killing does not make you any worse than a bully." He chuckled. "Isn't it horrible that we call bullying bad and murder horrible, yet when a person is bullied until they commit suicide, the bullies aren't considered murderers? My father told me, when my older sister committed suicide, that it was my sister's fault for not being strong enough to stand up against the bullies."

He looked up with a horrified expression. "Your dad said that?"

"What kind of world do we live in where murder is not tolerated and punishable by law but the only punishment for bullying is a stern talking to or expulsion, even if it may result in someone's death?"

"Why are you telling me this?" Percy asked.

He slapped Percy on the back and changed the subject. "You feel like your friends shouldn't have died, and those who killed them should be held responsible, am I right? Yes? Well, I want you to know that if you do not join the Enforcers or the Hunters, you will not be able to legally obtain your revenge. But more importantly, now I finally know someone who has lost most things precious to him."

Percy looked away. "I haven't lost everything."

"But you act as if you don't care for them."

"I just haven't seen them in a while. And besides, I don't really want to interfere. They're twenty-one and probably going to get engaged pretty soon. They wrote to me a few weeks ago, but that's about it."

"Who are they?"

"Charles Beckendorf and Silena Beauregard," he said without hesitation. "Beckendorf's a blacksmith in New York, and Silena is a fashion model, though ever since she started dating Beckendorf, swimsuit modelling has been crossed off of her list of types of modelling she'd like to do. And she brings him to wherever the painter is so that the painter doesn't get any wrong ideas. Beckendorf's at least six and a half feet tall, so he's pretty big compared to the average height."

"She loves her boyfriend then?"

"Yeah. I guess so."

Colonel Johnston nodded. "You went to visit them sometime in the past three years after getting out of camp?"

"Yeah."

Just thinking about the couple made Percy feel depressed. The two of them got to confess their feelings and actually have the option to marry one another. With Percy, his first love confessed two minutes before she died.

The conversation died off, and the two of them remained seated at the round table as they waited for Zoë Nightshade to arrive. They were in a bar in the Capital just north of downtown. The whole place was empty, as the bar was supposed to be closed. But Percy had managed to convince the owner to lend him spare keys so he could hold a private meeting.

The room they were in was rather barren. It was a small room with a low ceiling, so Percy felt claustrophobic, but Colonel Johnston said that it was better to stay away from windows so that none of this conversation was leaked out as rumors. The only furniture inside were four plain wooden chairs that looked ready to fall apart and a circular table. In fact, the pile of wooden pieces in the corner was a chair when they had entered, but when Percy tried to lean back on it, it gave way under him and it collapsed.

Percy flicked his lighter. A little yellow flame grew, and he re-lit the candle-stick. The room hadn't been installed with Hecate-lights, special magic lights made by children of Hecate that could illuminate at the shout of a human word—_Luminos_—and dim at a different word—_Obscuro_. It was very, very dark.

"It's funny," Percy said randomly. "We're able to advance so far as to make lighters, but we prohibit the production of gunpowder weapons."

"Not only that," Johnston noted. "All scientists are monitored at all times. If they discover something the least bit threatening to the people, the government's guards won't hesitate to kill the scientist. Basically, the encouragement of scientific development by the recent governments is very low. But the government encourages more development with Hecate magic. We rely so much on them now."

Percy nodded. "Yeah, we do."

Just then, the door swung open and two people appeared in the doorway: Zoë and one of Johnston's guards.

"Brayden, let her in," Colonel Johnston ordered.

"Um, sir." Brayden looked away nervously. "There are two other girls out here."

The guard was still young, maybe twenty-five, and was very wary around other women. Percy remembered Colonel Johnston telling him that Brayden had a girlfriend. Was he afraid of being unfaithful?

"Ask them what to get for your girlfriend's birthday!" Colonel Johnston called back. "I'm sure they'll have some sort of idea for you."

"Y-yes, sir!" He let Zoë in and shut the door.

Zoë looked pissed. She came to the table and sat down on one of the empty chairs. She gave Johnston a dirty look before turning to Percy. "What do you want, Jackson? I had to come all the way from the border to get here, so this better be important. Be glad I had two very capable and likable companions with me on my way here otherwise this conversation would be much worse." She glared at Johnston. "For both of you."

Zoë Nightshade was a twenty-nine year old woman from the Neutral Zone. She had dark, tanned skin and long black hair that extended halfway down her back. Her hair was like a curtain, coming straight down from her head. Her eyes were volcanic and dark, and she always wore a proud expression. With her facial features, if you put a crown or tiara on her head, she would have looked like a cold, stern princess.

She was wearing her traditional summer-autumn outfit: a white shirt, a silver jacket, silvery camouflage pants and black combat boots. It was the same outfit she'd appeared to him with during his time at the camp in State 2. Percy instinctively put his hand on the hilt of his sword, Anaklusmos. She had been the one to deliver it to him, and though it was a present from Poseidon, his father, he also saw it as a present from the Hunter.

Zoë had the reputation as the "Man-Hating Virgin" because she generally showed no mercy to men and was rumored to still be a virgin. Percy believed that. Unlike what his fifteen-year-old self would have thought, he believed that people could hold off on sexual activities. After all, he and Liz had spent three years in a room together, alone. Neither Aaron nor Alex was there to interrupt them. They could have… if they wanted.

For a moment, Percy wondered who Zoë had brought with her, but he shook those thoughts away and faced her. "I need you here because the SOF has been destroyed."

"I heard about the incident," she confirmed. "Though I'm sure it has been distorted. What is the truth? What happened?"

Percy told her everything he knew.

"So it is as bad as some say," the Hunter mused. "There are many rumors around saying that the damage is not as bad as initially feared, but from what you have told me, things are even worse. To think everyone but you and two boys survived is like mass murder."

"In a way, it kind of is," Percy said. "Not necessarily mass murder, but definitely large scale. I think it has something to do with Deu5 M0rti5."

"That gang again?" She looked away with a dark expression.

"You know about them?" he asked. "I mean, you should have, since you've been doing this stuff for like thirteen years. But, yeah… You know about them?"

She nodded. "My sisters were once in that gang."

Percy didn't even have to ask the next question. She knew what it would be.

"Raped then killed."

They felt into an awkward silence. After a minute, Percy broke it and pulled out four packages of paper. They were contracts.

"Everything you need to know in detail is here," Percy told the two leaders. "The general idea is that the area of 'spies' will go to the Hunters. They do not have to explicitly follow what the SOF did, but the job will become theirs as a whole. The 'detectives' will go to the Enforcers. You already do that kind of stuff, just on a more public level, and with less equipment. The job of 'assassins' will… well, end, I guess. Both of you guys can figure out what you want to do with that, but the contract ends the job of assassinations. If that is a new branch you want to open up in your own occupation, go ahead and be my guest."

The two looked at the papers.

"Why do you need so many copies?" Johnston asked.

"One for each of you, one for me, and one for the government," Percy explained. "Everyone has proof that way."

"Did you write this all yourself?"

"Well, kinda. I wrote two of the copies but got tired and asked for help from a kind government guy named Nathan or whatever. Apparently, he's like the Secretary of State."

"Nathan Jenkins?!" Colonel Johnston stood up abruptly. "You're telling me that you got help from the Secretary of State Nathan Jenkins? And you didn't tell me about this?"

Percy shrugged. "Didn't feel like I needed to."

"His younger sister is one of my officers, and his younger brother is a high-ranking member of Deu5 M0rti5."

"Huh. Didn't know that. Small world, I guess."

"The details don't matter to me," Zoë grumbled. She grabbed her pen and signed all four documents. "If I find out anything that I'm not allowed to do because I have been misled, I will find you, Percy Jackson." She stood up. "I'll be taking my leave now, but whenever you're done with Henry, don't try to flee. My two attendants will be waiting for you in the room outside."

Without another word, and ignoring the angry exclamations of Colonel Johnston about never calling him Henry ever again, she stormed out of the room with her copy of the assigned documents.

"She has no respect for her elders, even if I am a man," Johnston grumbled in frustration and anger. "See, this is why I preferred it when—"

"Too bad," Percy snapped, tired of his whining. "Angus is not coming back. Get used to it."

Colonel Johnston curled his lip contempt. "You should watch your tongue, boy. If you're not careful, someday someone will cut it out. Though, I hope that never happens."

Percy noted the change in the Enforcer leader's demeanor. Clearly, he didn't like being disrespected directly. It was all fun and jokes when people called him by his first name, but Percy knew firsthand that Colonel Johnston was as strict of a teacher as they came… fair but strict.

"Later, colonel," Percy said, gesturing to the door.

"Remember what I said," Colonel Johnston said sternly. "Now you don't have any reason to kill people. There are no laws protecting you anymore. As soon as you leave the government's interconnected circuit, there are no passes."

The half-blood merely nodded.

"Then I'll leave as well. May the gods be with you, son of Poseidon."

And Colonel Johnston left.

Percy sat there for a couple minutes before he got up. He waved each flickering flame out before he exited the room. The sight awaiting him there was one he couldn't believe. Sitting at an empty table and chatting away like two best friends were the two people Percy hadn't seen in years.

On one chair was a blonde-haired girl with stormy grey eyes. She wore a bright smile and pretty expression. Across from her was a much sterner face, though she was laughing as well. She had dark black shoulder-length black hair that was spiked up to give her a sort of goth-punk look. Her electric blue eyes gleamed wickedly, and amidst the skull-shaped earrings and metal chains and spiked bracelets, Percy noticed that she still had her freckles.

Annabeth noticed him first and gave him a smile. "Surprise, Percy Jackson."

Thalia turned to face him. "'Sup, little cousin."

"What are you two doing here?" Percy asked in astonishment.

Annabeth and Thalia grinned at each other. There was a hint of evil intention in their expressions. Percy warily stood on guard. _They're practically strangers_, he thought to himself. _I haven't seen Annabeth for eight years and Thalia for ten years. They're practically strangers._

But what Annabeth said wasn't evil at all: "We're going to have fun at the amusement park!"

"Huh?"

Percy gave them a confused look. He knew which amusement park they were talking about. "Um, you don't mean _that_ one, do you? That's for, like, little kids and their parents. I'm okay 'cause I'm nineteen, but you two are in your twenties. Is that okay?"

Annabeth waved him off. "Nah, lots of teenagers go to the park. Especially ones who've been kicked out of camp. I guess you don't really know about that because you've been working as a SOF member the past many years."

"I don't really have time to go to an amusement park…" Percy tried to use an excuse. "I'm kinda busy with all the stuff I have to do…"

"Don't be ridiculous," Thalia grumbled. "We came all this way to see you again, Percy. Don't forget that we don't have to be here right now."

Percy stared at her. "You _don't_ have to be here right now."

Thalia shrugged. "Okay, Annabeth. Let's go. Clearly, this little cousin of mine has changed."

Annabeth shook her head. "I didn't come all this way for nothing. I've been dying to see him again after all these years. And besides, you know what our mission is."

Thalia sighed. "I hate this. You know we're going to end up arguing again. We always ended up arguing before. That probably hasn't changed. As handsome as Percy's gotten, I doubt that those harsh sea-green eyes hold any joy at all."

"Wow," Percy said dryly. "Thanks a lot. And you know calling me handsome makes me feel awkward because we're not actually cousins."

"Close enough. Our fathers are brothers."

"Zeus and Poseidon," he pointed out. "They're brothers but not by blood. Magicians don't have mortal DNA. I mean, they're practically like gods, right? Besides, our paternal grandfather and paternal grandmother are siblings. That in itself creeps me out."

"It doesn't matter. I consider you my cousin. The only attraction I have to you is the desire to throttle you when you piss me off."

Percy smiled. Thalia really hadn't changed that much. "I'm glad."

"So, did you find yourself a girlfriend, Percy?" Thalia teased suggestively, smirking deviously.

The image of Liz being ripped apart appeared in his mind. He shut his eyes and grimaced. "That, you don't need to know." His voice came out harsher than he intended.

When he opened his eyes, both girls were watching him warily, as if he had murderous intent.

The tension grew in the room. Percy didn't want them to be here. All they would bring is trouble. Because being with people like them reminded him too much of his old friends. The painful memories he tried to shut away would return.

"Fine, then." Annabeth's voice was a lot colder than before. "Forget the amusement park. I hoped for a better reunion, Percy. But I guess you don't want to do anything fun. We're going to Olympus."

"Olympus?"

Olympus is the name of the building that the president of Olympia runs the country from. That's where Luke Castellan would be. Percy suddenly saw a bright opportunity.

"Yeah," Annabeth murmured. "I thought you'd have a better chance getting what you want if we came with you. After all, Thalia can be pretty persuasive with Luke."

Thalia went a light shade of pink. "Shut up, Annabeth. Just because I know him from when I was little and we went out on a couple dates after I graduated from the camps doesn't mean I still like him. If you remember correctly, _I_ broke up with him."

Percy titled his head in confusion. "Wait, what? You dated Luke Castellan?"

"What's the big deal?" Thalia was getting redder by the second. "So what if I dated him. It's not like he's not human. And he's only two years older than I am…"

Annabeth was laughing, but something told Percy that it was partially forced. Did she like Luke as well? Why did the thought of that annoy him?

"We should go," Percy said in a forced tone. "I want to get this done with as quickly as possible."

Thalia agreed with him. "Let's go." She walked out the front door.

Percy began to follow her, but before he left the store, Annabeth called out to him: "Hey, Percy?"

He paused.

"Whoever your girlfriend was, I hope she made you happy." She spoke in an almost wistful voice. "And whatever happened, trying to force it away isn't going to solve anything. Just accept it. Even if accepting it is harder than anything you've ever done before, you can't move on without doing that."

Percy let the words settle. He nodded curtly at her and exited the bar.

* * *

><p>Olympus was huge. It was like a giant white house.<p>

Four beautiful marble columns lined the door entrance to the building, and the rest of the building was exquisitely designed. Apparently it had been burned down once when a nation from the north, where State 5 was now, came down in rebellion after the Olympians oppressed them, but this version of the house hadn't been damaged in the past two hundred years.

Percy had never been to Olympus previously in his life. It was an extraordinary experience. Security guards were positioned everywhere, swords and daggers sheathed to their waists. They all wore armour and analytical expressions, though when Percy came up to them and nodded, they smiled back and greeted him. Percy wondered if it was because he was flashing the SOF badge. Clearly, they'd heard of what had happened.

They met in a conference room somewhere on an underground level through the twisted maze of halls. Percy's first impression of Luke wasn't a good one.

Luke Castellan had a painfully tight smile on his face, which resonated with the scar that ran down the right side of his face. It looked like a horrible wound, and Percy wondered if this Luke was a fighter, like him. But other than that, Luke looked like a very handsome man. He had sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. Without the scar, Luke Castellan would have been the most attractive man Percy would have ever seen.

To him, that attractiveness made him dangerous. Of course, Luke's secretary and assistant was a girl. _Just like in those plays_, Percy thought.

"Percy Jackson?" Luke called from his position at the other end of the table. They were sitting at a rectangular table with Luke at the head. Percy sat to Luke's left two seats down. In between him and Luke sat Annabeth and opposite of Annabeth was Thalia. Luke forced another smile. "It is good to finally meet you."

"And you." Percy wanted to keep his comments short. "Looking good today, sir."

Luke wore the common suit. It consisted of a button-up shirt, a neck tie, and long dress pants. The president smiled graciously. "And you, sir, are looking deadly, as an assassin should."

Percy looked down. He realized that he was still wearing his cloak, and underneath were dark black clothes. His pants were torn and ripped at the knees, and Anaklusmos was still strapped to his black.

"Thank you."

"I heard about the incident—"

"As you should have."

Percy had no idea why, but he didn't like that president. There was just something about Luke that made Percy feel uneasy. There was something about the look he was giving him. If it was true that Luke was a son of Hermes, perhaps he could see through lies and deceptions well. Children of Hermes were often noted for their thievery and sneakiness.

Luke stared at him with a cautious expression.

"Is it true that you're a son of Hermes?" Percy asked. "I just want to make sure, because I don't want to be misinformed about your identity. It would not be good if I accidentally insulted you, Mr. Castellan."

Luke nodded without hesitation. "Yes. Despite my mother's actions, I am a son of Hermes. She had good reason to do what she did anyway." There was a tone in his voice Percy caught but couldn't quite catch the meaning behind it.

"And that would be…" Percy's voice drifted dangerously close to anger. His mother and step-father were dead because of May Castellan. If Luke agreed with his mother's actions, Percy couldn't accept him. "I was a victim of that."

Annabeth looked away guiltily. Thalia stared darkly at the table.

Percy suddenly felt jealous. "You were the one to grant them protection, weren't you?" he asked Luke.

Luke gave him a pained look. "Look, I'm sorry. I knew them and I knew that they were half-bloods. If I had known any more half-bloods, I would have granted them safety as well. But these two were there for me when I needed it most. When my mom started the purge, she told me I wouldn't be a victim but I lived every day in fear. I found these two on the street and befriended them. When the guards found out they were half-bloods, they threatened to kill them, but I begged them not to. They took pity on me and spared their lives. In exchanged, I would not be able to see them for years."

Luke looked about twenty-four. He was the youngest president in the history of Olympia. What's more surprising is the fact that he was democratically elected. That would have made Luke thirteen at the time of Percy's parents' deaths. And that would have made him fourteen or fifteen when the purge ended.

And if he remembered Annabeth and Thalia's stories, he'd arrived in the orphanage two years after they did. He would have been eleven when he let them go. Percy tried to remember what he was like when he was eleven. That was the first year in the orphanage without Annabeth or Thalia. He remembered vague faces and random names: Connor Stoll, Lou Ellen, Drew Tanaka. But not much happened.

"So, you knew him?" Percy asked the two girls coldly.

"We didn't think it was important," Annabeth said softly, as if afraid to say too much. "What use would it have been to tell you we were friends with Luke Castellan? And why would it have come up anyway?"

Percy didn't answer. She was right. He'd never brought up their pasts because he'd wanted to avoid his own, and even then it wouldn't have been important to bring up their relationship with a guy they only really knew for a year. Still, they acted like they were really close friends. And Thalia clearly liked him, even if she said she didn't. After what he thought _their_ relationship was, Percy felt jealous and angry that these two had kept this away from him.

"I feel heartbroken, Annie," Luke said with a playful pout.

Annabeth scowled. "Don't call me Annie. I _absolutely despise_ that name."

"Then why do you call Percy 'Seaweed Brain' when he clearly doesn't like it?" Thalia asked with a devious smirk.

She blushed. "That's different."

Percy stared at her.

"What?!" she cried. "Stop staring at me."

"Seaweed Brain is true, isn't it? As a son of Poseidon who's stupid…"

"Well, if you came second in your year, you can't be stupid," Annabeth pointed out quickly. "And it was kind of a joke. I mean, you're not stupid. You were just… really dense. So dense it appeared you were stupid. But no, no stupid person can become second place in their year."

"And you are the only half-blood in your year to reach the top ten," Luke said. Percy turned to look at him. He continued, "Ever since the incident with the SOF, I've been dying to get my hands on you. Such an unfortunate event, but somehow the half-blood survives."

"There were more half-bloods than me, and they were killed," Percy pointed out.

"True, true," Luke agreed. "But you're one of the youngest and one of the most capable. If I remember correctly, you were considered the best swordsman in the past three hundred years or something like that."

"Not the _best_, but I was ranked first in my year," Percy pointed out.

"With scores that top any other in the decade before your graduation year," Luke said, holding a sheet of paper. He slipped it over to Percy.

Percy didn't understand all the different markings and numbers and such, but he could tell the difference between first and second and third and so on. He was on top, with a girl named Clarisse La Rue behind him in second place. It seemed she graduated two years before him. _So the year between Annabeth and Thalia_, Percy thought. In the third spot was Thalia.

As he went through the list, Luke said, "About eighty percent are half-bloods."

"What's the point?" Percy asked, narrowing his eyes at the president of Olympia.

"I believe you are the most capable for the job I want to send you on," he said. He didn't elaborate.

"What mission?" Annabeth asked the question for him. "You didn't say anything about a mission? What's it going to be? How long is Percy going to be gone? Does he need anyone to accompany him?" She rambled on, asking a handful of questions before Luke suddenly roared:

"_SHUT UP!_"

Annabeth stopped, stunned. Then she dropped her gaze in shame.

"Thank you," Luke said in an agitated voice. He turned back to Percy. "Listen, I want to know about this guy who's entered State 5. I got a report this morning that some guy and a small guard unit of about seven soldiers from the Far West entered the borders. There was no immediate threat, so I let them through. But I'm afraid that the Enforcers and Border Guard aren't enough to keep them contained. From their descriptions, the soldiers don't seem like amateurs."

Percy glanced at Annabeth, who was now listening with a curious expression. Thalia was staring at Luke with a confused gaze. "Okay, since I'm the only capable survivor of the SOF, you want me to investigate. Gotcha. But why? Would I really be more effective than Johnston's men? And besides, you already received my reports. The duties of the SOF lie in the hands of the Hunters and the Enforcers."

"But I want to follow him _out_ of Olympia, and I can't have large forces following him across the Neutral Zone," Luke explained. "It isn't uncommon for Olympians to flee Olympia, so it wouldn't look as suspicious. You follow him to the Far West and make sure he isn't a threat to Olympia. If he's a threat, neutralize him, preferably by death, but if you don't feel up to that, you can hand him over to the government in the Far West, assuming that there is one there."

"You believe there is a government there?"

"Possibly. I don't doubt that there is life there. The extent of that life is what I am unsure about."

"And what will I get in return?"

"Something I think you'd enjoy, son of Sally Jackson." Luke smirked. "In return, when you get back I will have Gabe Ugliano, Benjamin Zyphos and Eric Fischer under my control. You are free to do whatever you like to them when given the opportunity."

The name Gabe Ugliano clicked in his head. It was the name he was told of the man who had killed his mother.

Luke's smirk grew. "That seemed to pique your interest. All right. Do we have a deal, Percy Jackson?"

He could see both girls out of the corners of his eyes. Both had expectant expressions, as if declining would make them feel their presence was worth nothing. But Percy knew better than that. Luke would have asked him the same thing even if they weren't there. The only difference would be that Luke wouldn't have to put on that fake smile of his.

He extended his hand and shook Luke's. "Deal. Do I have to start right away?"

Luke shook his head, glancing at Annabeth out of the corner of his eye. "He's planned to stay in Aeleos for the next week. You have a couple nights. Besides, Annabeth and Thalia are part of the Kynigos unit, the State 5 unit of the Hunters. They can accompany you on your way there. Be sure _not_ to get them involved, though. I won't forgive you if you do."

He acted as if _he_ was a closer friend. Percy scowled and tried to think of all the dead friends he'd made in the past seven years. He had _his_ own group of friends.

_But they're dead_, the sarcastic part of his brain said.

Percy stood up and left without another word. Luke didn't say anything to him. He heard a chair slide back and the sound of footsteps following him.

He made it to the end of the hall, when the footsteps grew louder and a hand grabbed his shoulder. He turned to face Annabeth. Her expression was full of concern and disapproval. Percy didn't know how she managed to look like that at once, but she was like one in a million.

"Why did you have to be so cold to Luke?" she asked.

Percy stared at her in disbelief. "You're worried for _him_?! Even after he yelled at you to shut up and didn't apologize for it?"

She looked away.

"Look, I don't care if you like him or not," he growled. "Even if it makes me angry that he's treating you unfairly, if you're okay with being a masochist, I don't give a flying fuck. I'm just here to do my job."

Annabeth went red in anger. "You're goddamn selfish, that's what you are. You know, I was willing to give you a chance, but you've really changed over these years. I don't know what you've been through, but if that girl breaking up with you really hurt that much, then you've got to prioritize your—"

"We never went out!" Percy shouted at her. "You _really_ want to know what happened. Okay, I'll tell you. She told me she loved me. We were in the middle of a mission. Then, she ran out, saved my life and got killed. I knew we loved each other, but I was too much of a coward to ask her out, and when she _did_ realize I loved her, she confessed and sacrificed herself. And you know what? I don't love her romantically anymore. I've moved on. She would have too. The only thing I don't get is why immediately put the blame on me when I'm not the only one acting hostile! Or maybe you were too love-struck to realize that he's like me."

Annabeth fell quiet. He could see tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Percy," she said softly. "I didn't know. I—I was just angry. After all these years…" She wiped her eyes. "It's stupid of me to think you'd be the same after all these years. Forgive me."

He glared at her. "This isn't going to make me forgive you. You're right. I am selfish. If you guys are that close with Luke, you could have at least mentioned him to me once or twice."

"Then we won't travel with you," Annabeth declared. "If you feel that way…"

That only made Percy angrier. "Oh, so because I don't like Luke you don't want to travel with me?"

But Annabeth answered with the exact opposite of what he was thinking: "No. We won't travel with you if you hate us. If I offended you, I didn't mean to." Her words didn't sound that apologetic.

Still, she waved a sad goodbye and turned and left.

Percy cursed at himself. Surely, he'd just ruined his friendship with Annabeth. And only an hour after they'd reconciled as well. That was the epitome of disaster. Groaning, the son of Poseidon turned and went up the stairs.

When he reached the entrance, a young woman ran up to him with an eagle on her index finger. She looked younger than him by a year. Her blonde hair was tied up in pigtails, and her eyes were a cool blue. Despite that, her eyes darted around nervously, as if she couldn't bring herself to look at him directly.

"Um, hello?"

"My name is Lacy." She introduced herself. "Um, this eagle landed on me, and the back of the letter says it's addressed to a Percy Jackson. Um, I was told to look for a tall, black-haired, green eyed guy. You're Percy Jackson, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah…"

She sighed in relief. "Thank the gods. I was looking everywhere for you. And the amount of visitors hitting on me is ridiculous. Thanks for not hitting on me. I don't even know where they get the idea. I'm not even close to pretty."

Percy looked at her. Now that he paid attention, she certainly radiated beauty despite her lack of grace. The more he looked at her, the more he became entranced by those blue eyes and the fair white skin. Then it clicked in his head: "You're a daughter of Aphrodite, aren't you?" he asked.

She nodded timidly.

_No wonder she could admit that about her complexion_, he thought. _No normal person would worry about such things_._ And even if they did, they'd probably keep to themselves._

"Lacyyyy! What are you doing? You said you'd—"

Percy looked up. Standing just behind Lacy was a tall Asian girl. Her dark hair was in ringlets, and her warm brown eyes stared at him in amazement. She wore plenty of jewellery and makeup. Somehow, she had the perfect amount of makeup on. Like the Lacy girl, she was definitely beautiful, but he felt no attraction to her. Suddenly, a feeling of recognition crawled up his chest, and he caught his breath.

"Percy Jackson?" Drew Tanaka sputtered.

"Uh, hey, Drew," he muttered back.

Lacy glanced back and forth between the two of them. Her eyes widened. "You're telling me this is the guy you picked on at the orphanage?"

"Shut up!" Drew's face went red. "I didn't pick on him."

"Uh, yeah you did," Percy pointed out. "You told me I was ugly and picked on me because I didn't really wear much of a variety of clothing."

She looked down and mumbled, "Well, you're hot now."

"Pardon?" He wasn't sure he heard her right.

"Whatever!" she said, waving her arms frantically. "It's good to see you again, but I've got business with Lacy." She grabbed Lacy's arm and began dragging her away. "Later, Jackson!"

Within the next couple of seconds, the pair of girls was gone. Only the eagle and the parchment remained.

"That was so random," he muttered to himself.

Then he opened the letter that was meant for him. Excitement bubbled in his chest when he read its contents:

_Hey, Percy. It's Silena. Charlie and I have an announcement. I hope, despite your busy schedule, that you can make it to New York in a couple of days. We just want to let you know in person._

_Your favourite couple,  
>CharliexSilena<br>XOXOXOXOXO_

Percy glanced back. For whatever reason, Annabeth and Thalia were arguing by the stairs. Annabeth noticed his gaze and returned it. Percy thought about the argument he had with her earlier. Sure, he didn't regret his actions, but the way Annabeth acted oddly reminded him of Liz. It was weird, because he was sure they weren't much alike, but…

No. They weren't alike much. Percy remembered the feeling he'd put aside all those years ago—eight to be exact—when Annabeth had left the orphanage.

Maybe it wasn't that Annabeth reminded him of Liz as a dependable female partner. Maybe it was that Liz reminded him of Annabeth. From what he remembered, they were loyal, strong-minded and stubborn. They were also brave and daring. But Annabeth was smarter, and he didn't know who the better fighter was. And Liz was less strict-minded and logical than Annabeth. Liz was more free-flow, though she abided by rules and did her work in a very organized manner.

Percy grimaced. He could either walk out or go back and invite them again. It was safer to walk out but…

He closed his eyes, sighed and then made his decision.

* * *

><p><strong>And here's to another chapter! I feel like these chapters I'm writing are almost all with something to do with character development. But the amount of different names I've put into this story is ridiculous. I'm starting to lose track of who's who. There are two Erics and now a Nathan, but then I might have mentioned a Nathan earlier. Whatever! You get the point!<strong>

**Anyway, thanks for reading the story.**

**Don't forget to review if you a minute or two to spare. If not, thanks for feeding me reviews. And big thumbs ups for the 42 followers and 29 favorite-ers and the over 3000 viewers.**

**I am eternally grateful that you guys are going to stick around until this story gets boring. And who knows? Maybe it won't? Hopeful thinking...**

**SharkAttack719**


	8. Highs and Lows

**Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.**

**READ "CRIMSON MEMORIES" (one-shot) to get a general idea of what this story will be led to. HOWEVER, if you don't want to, you don't have to. It may spoil a couple things. But it definitely gives a heads up as to the general direction of the story.**

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><p><strong>8 – VII<strong>

Annabeth was cornered by Luke as she tried to make her way back to Thalia.

He shoved her into an empty room and shut the door. He stood guard and crossed his arms. The glare on his face was menacing. She looked away and put her hands at her sides near her daggers. Just because she'd defended him earlier against Percy, didn't mean he was any less dangerous.

"What's the deal with that?" he growled.

"What?" she snapped.

"I told you not to get attached," he said angrily. "Don't just get up and follow him every chance you get. You're going to drive him away."

"I was defending you!"

"The more you do that, the worse the situation is going to become." Luke groaned and paced back and forth in front of the door. "You realize that he is already hesitant. If you complain to him about his attitude, you're just going to make him think worse about me. And of you as well. Percy Jackson is a dangerous weapon. Use him right, and that weapon will take out our enemies. Misuse that weapon, and you'll fail."

"He's not just an object," she retorted.

"Oh, now you're defending him. Why don't you pick a side?"

Annabeth gritted her teeth.

"Were you expecting the same innocent boy you described?" Luke sneered. "Just because he's good-looking now, you immediately believe he's some attractive hunk you'd love to fall in love with who has some bright and brilliant personality?"

She ground her teeth even more.

Luke sighed. He stepped forward and put a hand on her cheek. She slapped it away and turned away from him. He retreated a little with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry, Annie. You're just so beautiful now." He paused for a moment. "You know, you still haven't answered me about my request for a date. Remember, we can go to the amusement park and—"

"My answer is _still_ no, Luke," Annabeth said stonily. "If you really forgot, I'm not interested."

"Anna?"

Annabeth scowled. "I still haven't forgotten how you just used that Kelli girl after you broke up with Thalia. And even though she still likes you, you still want to go out with me?"

"You don't like me?" Luke asked. He stepped closer to her.

Annabeth wanted to pull her dagger on him, but she felt her heart speed up as soon as he got within a six inches of her. She backed up into the table behind her. In her right hand was her dagger. But Luke held onto her right wrist tightly. For some reason, her body wouldn't respond. She froze. The son of Hermes leaned in closer until his lips brushed the lobe of her right ear.

"If you ever want to relieve some stress, I'll be waiting," he whispered suggestively.

Before she knew what was happening, she was out in the hallway with Thalia, who was asking her about her conversation with Percy. Annabeth didn't answer. Instead, she opted to walk upstairs toward the front entrance. As Thalia called out to her and began yelling at her, Annabeth couldn't get the thought of her and Luke out of her head.

It wasn't as if it was the first time she'd thought of such things. Luke was really attractive. But his controlling and manipulative personality… she didn't like that so much. He could be really sweet when he wanted to, but when they were alone, he always openly suggested sex like it was no big deal. Annabeth hated that he only liked her because she looked attractive. Luke had always had a thing for blondes. Other than Thalia and Kelli, the girls he'd slept with were all blondes. At least, the ones she was aware of were blondes.

"Annabeth, are you listening to me?!" Thalia snapped.

They were in the lobby. People walked back and forth around them doing their every-day office jobs. They must have looked weird—two girls not dressed in office suits or skirts or battle armour in the middle of Olympus.

"No," Annabeth told her friend honestly.

Thalia sighed. "What's going on with you? Ever since you chatted with Percy, and then Luke, you've been acting weird."

Her face went red. "You knew I was talking to Luke?"

"Yeah. You guys came out of a room. He had a triumphant smirk on and you looked like you were in a daze. I don't know what happened in there—"

"It's not what you think!" Annabeth blurted immediately.

Thalia raised her eyebrows and tilted her head in suspicion. Slowly, she said, "I wasn't thinking anything particularly specific. And I was definitely not thinking about anything inappropriate, Annabeth."

The daughter of Athena put a hand to her head. "I don't know, Thalia. I'm just not feeling well."

"That's blatantly obvious," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Seriously, what happened with Percy and Luke? Don't tell me anything bad happened. And now that you mention it…" She narrowed her eyes. "What _did_ happen with Luke?"

"I—I just…" Annabeth looked around to find a way out of this awkward conversation. The whole day had been confusing for her. All she wanted to do was set up her tent and go to bed. She didn't want any more trouble.

Luke was right. She'd originally come because she thought she'd be able to find the Percy she'd left eight years ago. But this Percy was nothing like the one she left. He was colder, darker. Clearly, unpleasant things had happened to him. And when she got angry and jealous about his "girlfriend" it turned out she only declared her love for him once and was killed in action immediately after. She felt guilty about it. Why had she acted that way?

And of course, when she apologized, she had acted stoic and neutral like usual. Why couldn't she just let go of her pride and apologize genuinely for once? Why couldn't she admit that she was wrong?

_Because you don't like this new Percy_, a part of her mind said.

That was true. She wanted that light-hearted, silly Seaweed Brain back. She shouldn't have expected much coming from someone who'd ranked second and made it into the SOF. And after the SOF was nearly annihilated, it must have taken a huge toll on his emotions. Even she and Thalia couldn't rank that high. She'd come sixth in her year, and though she never planned to join the SOF, she felt disappointed that she was never given the opportunity. And Thalia had placed thirteenth.

With the way Percy spoke about that girl and her sacrifice, Annabeth was sure that the girl had come first in their year. There was no doubt about it. She would never match up to that girl Percy kept dear in his heart. Why did she have to affiliate that bright young boy with the handsome, green-eyed man she'd met today? They were clearly two different people.

Thalia was yelling at her again. When she looked up, something caught her attention from over Thalia's shoulder. Percy was staring at her from near the entrance. A golden eagle was perched on his hand. There was a roll of parchment in his hand. He looked as though he was preparing to make a decision. Annabeth realized he was deciding whether to come over and apologize or not.

For a moment, Annabeth thought it would've been a scene out of a kids or teen book: he'd come back to apologize. But Percy Jackson shook his head, nodded briefly at her, and then exited the building.

Annabeth felt the disappointment sink in her chest.

Thalia turned to see what she was looking at. Her expression became solemn. "Oh," was her simple response.

"It's okay," Annabeth said, her voice cracking. "It's not a big deal. It's not like I was getting my hopes up or anything."

Thalia frowned and reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. But Thalia hesitated. She retracted her arm and said, "Well, I guess he really isn't the exact same person. Maybe it's better this way. I mean, it's not like he and Luke get along that well anyway. You should probably take a break… relieve some of your stress."

Annabeth blushed. "Don't say that!"

Thalia frowned. "Why?"

The daughter of Athena shook her head to try and clear the thoughts. But then she stopped. It wasn't okay to just hide it from Thalia. It wouldn't hurt her to know the truth anyway. Thalia was much more aggressive and forward with Luke than she could ever be. "Luke asked me out on a date a few times since the beginning of October," she admitted. "I've turned him down each time, but he wants to sleep with me. I know that much. I thought I should tell you."

The daughter of Zeus stood there for a moment, clearly stunned by her words. Then her face went red with fury. "How dare that son of a bitch try to force you into sex? I'll beat him up until he... until he... _ARGH!_"

"Stop, Thalia. Don't go that far!"

"But he's—!"

"I know. I can handle it for now. Just be cautious around Luke."

Thalia huffed. "How can people change that much? First Percy. Now Luke. I mean, I should've known. Luke's been with a lot of girls since he broke up with that Kelli girl."

"Caught between a rock and a hard place," Annabeth muttered. "On one hand, there's Luke. He's still sweet and kind and charming, despite what he does to me sometimes. Then there's Percy, who seems to have changed completely."

"Yeah. I don't get a good vibe from this Percy. Maybe it's just because we got him in a bad mood. He didn't seem all that bad when he stepped out from the room, and he kinda looked happy to see us. And despite everything, he still seems to be a good person at heart…"

Annabeth didn't understand. Why, even after sexual harassment, did she still want to stay near Luke? Why, even after a cold rejection, did she still want to be friends with Percy? Annabeth wanted a perfect world. For her, becoming an architect would have been an ultimate achievement. But even then she wouldn't have been able to build what she wanted. What she could build would have been restricted by the government, and knowing Luke, he would've forced her to sleep with him to allow her to build what she wanted. And multiple times at that. There was no way she could've known that during her time at the camp, but since Thalia became a Hunter, she also wanted to become a Hunter.

The most important goal on her checklist of a perfect world was a failure.

Maybe Luke had become this corrupt because of his mother. After all, she _had_ done some horrible things. He would've definitely been scarred by that. Over time, it eventually got to him, and he became some sort of sadist. And like Percy said, she was some sort of masochist.

Perfect couple, eh?

Thoughts of Percy began to fill her mind. The way he used to be… the way he was now. She couldn't believe that he was completely different. It only seemed that way. She tried to convince herself that they were different because of Luke. Right… it wasn't her insecurities. It was Luke.

She started walking forward, toward the exit.

"Hey, where are you going?" Thalia called out. "As stubborn as you are, you can't be crazy enough to think you can stalk an assassin, even if you are a Hunter!"

_No, I'm completely sane_, Annabeth thought. _Logically speaking, there is no way for someone to completely change without brainwashing. A person's personality is a mixture of ideals created by the person due to a combination of his or her past experiences. Maybe he's different, but he's not a whole new entity._

"I don't want to find the old Percy," Annabeth told Thalia. "I want to find the truth behind the new Percy."

* * *

><p>"I'm leaving now," Annabeth told Percy.<p>

She had turned twelve a month and a half ago. It was Percy Jackson's eleventh birthday. But the Enforcement Corps had come to send her to the State 3 camp. Coincidentally, it was the camp Thalia had been shipped off to, and whether she liked it or not, her father and step-mother and step-brothers lived in Richmond, the capital of State 3. By legal documents, despite fleeing from house, her true home still lay in State 3.

"You can't stay in State 2?" Percy Jackson's voice was sad. "I want to see you again."

Annabeth smiled at the younger boy. "We _will_ see each other again. I promise you that."

"Really? When we're older? Like in our twenties?"

"Yeah. Something like that. We'll both be good at our jobs. We'll end up meeting and becoming good friends again."

Percy grinned. "I like the sound of that." He extended his pinkie. "All right. Pinkie-swear on that promise."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "You're so childish. Making promises through pinkie-swears."

"Whatever, Wise Girl," Percy huffed, pretending to be insulted.

She laughed and extended her pinkie. Even in their farewell, it seemed as though they were having a normal conversation. It didn't feel too sad or too happy. It felt… just right. Appropriate. They were going to see each other in the future, one way or another. And Annabeth promised that they would become good friends again.

But she forgot that promise. After years of hard work, it faded from her mind. And it too faded from Percy Jackson's mind. It was a promise lost in the wind, never to be fulfilled.

After all… nothing lasts forever.

* * *

><p>Admittedly, Thalia felt jealous.<p>

Sure, she knew Luke was far from perfect. But she still liked him. After all these years, she couldn't stop feeling attracted to him. And to her… she found it crazy that she felt more jealous than angry that Luke was hitting on her best friend. She was more concerned about her feelings than Annabeth's safety.

Annabeth could handle herself when the time came. At least, that's what she thought. What seemed to never occur to Thalia before was that perhaps Annabeth _did_ like Luke. Thalia knew that Annabeth tried to stay away from Luke for her sake. She knew that Annabeth tried to force herself to like Percy to avoid from being attracted to Luke. But not many girls could admit that they didn't feel some sort of attraction to Luke. And that was why Thalia hated it so much.

Liking someone so handsome had its drawbacks.

She thought about the new Percy they'd met yesterday. He was the exact opposite of Luke. They were both handsome. The difference was that Luke exerted his handsome features, which was what made him attractive. Percy, on the other hand, wasn't into all that. Why? Because he loved for real.

When Annabeth added in her commentaries to what Percy had said about that other girl, Thalia found herself thinking better of her little cousin. As cold as he was, Thalia could see his reasons for being that way. Unlike Annabeth, she tended to use her gut feeling more often than Annabeth did. She used her emotions, and as bad of a vibe he gave off and as annoying as he appeared to be, she could just tell that he wasn't a bad person.

She guessed that Percy actually loved that girl, and figured that no matter what he said, he still had lingering feelings for her.

Unlike Luke, who slept with girl after girl to satisfy his lust.

She remembered something Zoë told her: _Men are untrustworthy. They will lure you in with kind words before tearing you down and throwing you away after they're done._

Thalia knew her past. It was a bad one. It wasn't nearly as bad some pasts she'd endured, but what Zoë _did_ was the horrific part.

There was a guy named Alcaeus. He was about a year older than Nightshade. The year that Zoë graduated, Alcaeus invited her to a party. She was hesitant but went along anyway. Alcaeus had become a part of the Olympic Guard, and she had joined the Hunters. The party was for Olympian Guards and guests. Obviously, there was alcohol. Minors weren't allowed to drink, but Alcaeus told Zoë to help them sneak in. They got in, and what happened next was horrible.

Zoë had the nickname "Man-Hating Virgin" or something like that. But that wasn't true. She didn't always hate men, and she was definitely not a virgin. She and Alcaeus had been dating for a couple years, and just a month or so earlier, on Zoë's actual graduation day, they eloped for the first time.

She broke Hunter rules and eventually broke the law to be able to be with Alcaeus. She killed innocents because Alcaeus ordered her to. She became a murderer and Alcaeus' puppet. The party was to celebrate a mission in which Alcaeus told Zoë to kill his sister. She'd succeeded and ended up killing his parents as well.

Alcaeus was a horrible person. But for some reason, Zoë loved him. That night at the party, Alcaeus had planned out a special party. He kicked all the girls out, tied Zoë up, and let every guy in the room have sex with her. He was drunk. He was insane.

By the end of the night, Zoë knew that she would be pregnant. There were too many of them to not have anything like that happen. She was the only one not drunk, and in her fury, she killed over a hundred Olympic Guards, including Alcaeus. She killed the baby before it grew too big.

The whole case went to the Olympian Court, and Zoë was cleared of all charges. Why? Because nobody wanted to face the Hunter's fury. After all, she'd scored first in her year by over a hundred points.

Comparing Zoë's point total to her own, or even Annabeth's, was a joke. She scored two hundred more than her and a hundred twenty more than Annabeth. The only person to beat her was the girl who'd come in first in Percy's year. Thalia remembered reading the news: Elizabeth Edmonds. She scored five more than Zoë.

And in the court case, people sympathized with her. Alcaeus clearly was a bad person and the story was twisted so much that Zoë was seen to have done nothing wrong at all. But that guilt always stayed with the Hunters' leader.

Even her own pathetic life of survival through the Neutral Zone couldn't compare to the horrors that Zoë had experienced.

It was certain that from that point on, Zoë hated men. Of course, the only exception was Percy Jackson. Zoë told her that she gave him the sword he wielded today, Anaklusmos. It, apparently, was a gift from Poseidon. There was more to that story, but Zoë never elaborated on it.

Thalia knew that along with his looks and charm, Luke was infinitely skilled with a sword. But there was just something about Percy's body language that told her he was no push over. Even when standing still, the son of Poseidon looked like he could kill without the victim even realizing he struck. It made her consciously aware of her bracelet, her own magic gift from her father: Aegis.

As she looked over the city of New York, she remembered happy memories. The orphanage she eventually made it to with Annabeth was here. The orphanage in which she first met Percy Jackson was here.

Even if he was annoying. Even if he was dangerous. Even if he was different. Thalia Grace still missed bickering with him.

And it made her realize… Percy was great at keeping her mind out of the past. She was like Zoë. She loved a man who was a devilish angel.

"Nobody can be perfect, though," the daughter of Zeus told herself. "Percy and Luke are great examples, eh? With the looks of angels and the personalities of devils. And both of you used to be so kind and happy. Luke was gentle, and Percy was kid-like and exciting to watch. You should know Annabeth…" She knew the daughter of Athena was nowhere nearby, but still she spoke. "You shouldn't hold onto the past. Using the 'I want to find the new Percy' crap isn't enough to trick me."

And that's why, even though she was watching Percy Jackson talk with two of his friends in the local park, she didn't bother to look for Annabeth. This was something out of their control. Thalia was prepared to let go. She was ready to move on without Luke and Percy.

But happy endings seldom come to those who wish it. She didn't know how hard it would soon become to choose her path.

The black raven with death in its eyes perched on the tree above Percy stared at her, as if it was some godly or magical force, and then took off into the sky, toward downtown New York—Manhattan.

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><p><strong>Mostly a filler chapter. Let me know what you think!<strong>

**SharkAttack719**


	9. The Roman

****Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.****

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><p><strong>9 – IX<strong>

Percy smiled and waved at Silena and Beckendorf.

"Bye, Percy!" called the daughter of Aphrodite.

"See ya!" he called back.

He mounted Blackjack and patted his horse on his head. Blackjack whinnied in complaint before huffing and following orders. They galloped northwest, toward the city of Aeleos. Percy planned to take stops in Pitspournk and Klivelant on the way so Blackjack could rest, but he expected the trip to only take two and a half days. Blackjack could gallop faster than most horses.

If the guy from the Far West came through the border the morning he'd met Luke Castellan, it would take him a couple days to get to Aeleos. Percy spent one day getting to New York and hanging out with Silena Beauregard (soon to be Beckendorf… maybe) and Charles Beckendorf during the night. If the guy was staying in Aeleos for a week, that meant he had about six days before he left.

It would be smart for him to collect data on the target while he was _in_ Olympia.

Percy remembered seeing Thalia sitting on the bench a hundred feet away from him when he was talking to Silena and Beckendorf in the park. She was just watching. It didn't look like Annabeth was there with her. He liked that part about Thalia. Even though they had fought, and he found her quite annoying, she knew when to give him personal space.

And maybe Annabeth was more level-headed, but Thalia was more willing to let go. There was just something about the Annabeth he met yesterday that unsettled him.

The afternoon sun glared in his eyes as Blackjack exited the city and began galloping down the highway.

Olympian cities are connected via "highways." Highways are basically just wide paths that had been cut through forests and plains to guide the trading carts and horse traffic. The biggest highway was the one that went from Boston down through New York and the Capital and all the way to Typhonas. The second largest was the one that started as one from the Capital before going through New York and splitting there. Two miles northwest of New York, the path divides into northwest and southwest. The northwest path leads to Auroris, the northernmost city in Olympia, and the southwest path leads to Ntalas, the capital of State 6.

It was dusk exactly two days after he left New York when he arrived in Aeleos.

Blackjack had insisted on continuing, so Percy never stopped in Pitspournk. They continued, took a two hour break in Klivelant, and then continued onto Aeleos. By the time they got there, both horse and rider were exhausted.

Percy immediately went to the nearest motel and checked in.

Blackjack fell asleep immediately when tied in at the stable, and when Percy flopped on his bed, he closed his eyes and fell asleep as well.

He was woken up the next morning when housekeeping arrived at the door.

"Hello, is anybody in there? I'm coming in."

The door opened. Percy groaned and sluggishly rolled off the bed. The housekeeping lady was a young teenage girl. She looked no more than eighteen. Percy stared at her cart and blinked five times without moving. She stared back, evidently nervous and unsure of what to do or say.

"Sorry," Percy muttered, half asleep. "You can clean. I'll head out."

"Oh, no, I'm sorry!" the girl said with a shake of her head. "I thought there was nobody inside. If you want to sleep, go ahead and continue. Next time, just remember to put the sign on your door that says 'Do Not Disturb.'"

"What time is it?"

"Um, two in the afternoon, sir."

That woke him up immediately. He gaped at her. "What?! Already? Oh gods, I'm going to mess up so bad. I need to find him. Damn, this is a huge city. Where the hell am I going to find that stranger in this giant ass—?" He stopped himself, when the girl stepped back. "Sorry. It's just… I have a, uh, meeting. Yeah. I don't know where it is and…"

The girl just nodded. She was averting her eyes away from him.

He quickly grabbed the weapons he'd left lying around and prepared to leave the room. As he passed by the girl's cleaning cart, he noticed a flyer or advertisement of some sort on it. He paused for a moment to decipher the letter.

The title sent a chill up his spine: Populusque Romanus.

"Where did you get this?" he asked the housekeeping girl.

She cringed, as if afraid of his tone, and said, "He was just in the area yesterday. This guy from the Far West gave this to me. He called himself Roman, and for some reason, they're fluent in the Olympian dialect."

"Where is he now?" he demanded.

"I don't know! You might find him at the center of town. He's trying to recruit soldiers for a coup back in the Far West. I don't know why. But criminals and those not good enough to join the occupations are flocking to him for a chance at glory."

Percy was stunned. If that was what he was after, it wasn't that big of a problem for Luke. But something about the flyer itself made him wary. It was almost as if the paper itself, most likely produced in the Far West, was screaming _ENEMY!_ Percy didn't exactly understand the feeling. But he snatched the flyer and turned to the girl.

"Thanks! I probably won't be back, so if I leave anything here, it means I don't want it or need it."

"Huh? Wait, what do you mean?"

"See ya!" He darted out of the room.

Running to the stables, he grabbed Blackjack, who was moaning and groaning. He probably wanted apples or donuts or something like that. And together, they rode into the city, fearing the worst.

* * *

><p>The girl was right. The meeting, held in a local bar, was packed full of mischievous looking guys and girls. Surely, they were all criminals. It wasn't as if he stood out. In fact, he never really looked like an SOF agent in the first place. He didn't wear the traditional uniform of an assassin. It was a trend he, Liz and Aaron had started.<p>

His ragged and torn black and blue attire made him look like a criminal, but the way his weapons were sheathed and stored looked awfully close to that of a soldier of Olympia.

The guy he was looking for was named Octavian. Honestly, Percy wanted to make an octopus joke, but the guy looked nothing like an octopus. In fact, he looked more like a scarecrow than anything. He had similar features to Luke, but his smile was far more devious and crooked. If Luke was a demon only on the inside, this Octavian was a demon on both inside and outside. And he was _way_ uglier.

"Thank you, all, for coming tonight!" Octavian announced. His seven guards were stationed all across the room. Luke's intel was correct. They were battle veterans. And although Octavian himself looked like he was in his early to mid-twenties, the guards looked like they were in their prime: mid-thirties to late thirties. Octavian chanted something in the Western language: "_Senatus Populusque Romanus_."

The crowd repeated it. Percy didn't chant. For some reason, the words clicked in his mind: the senate and people of Rome.

"That is our symbol!" he declared. "You call us the Far West, with your lack of a better name, but your government must remember that we once ruled your lands. We are called Romans, and yes, like I have presented over the past two nights, we do live in four major cities, two in the north and two in the south."

"Pontifex Maximus," one of the guards said, addressing his commander. "We don't need to repeat everything over and over—"

"I know, Marcus. I just want to be friendly and introduce myself." Octavian smiled a twisted smile. "Anyway, as you can probably tell, I'm looking for anyone who doesn't see themselves as fit to fight for Olympia or anyone who was rejected by the ignorant Olympian government to join me and help me become a leader back in San Francisco, the Roman capital."

A woman stood up. Percy recognized the bow hidden underneath the woman's cloak. She wore black combat boots. He immediately understood she was a Hunter in disguise. "Pontifex Maximus Octavian. May I ask something?"

"Go ahead." Octavian's gaze was cool and analytical.

"Are you planning to attack Olympia?"

Octavian went wide-eyed. It was genuine surprise. "Oh my, of course not. Unless I brought an entire army with me, I couldn't hope to face off against the Olympic Guards. No, no. I would never attack Olympia when Rome isn't even under my control. Even then, I would want peace between both Olympians and Romans. After all, united, we were stronger than we ever could be separated."

The Hunter sat down.

"Any more questions?" challenged the Pontifex Maximus.

Percy wondered what the term Pontifex Maximus, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself, so he asked the person beside him.

"He's like a high priest or something," twenty-six year old guy next to him explained. "Apparently, he can speak to the gods of Rome. It's kind of like how we have half-bloods. We call them mages or gods, depending on the person, but half-bloods are part divinity. My girlfriend is a daughter of Nemesis so…"

Percy didn't reveal his identity. He simply nodded.

For the next two hours, Octavian explained the situation in depth and what he wanted.

The very cut down version was that he needed soldiers to overthrow the current government in San Francisco, and then from there, he would be able to extend his power over the rest of the cities of Rome. He spoke about the praetors, the two government officials that ran San Francisco, as if they were devils. But he wasn't convincing enough.

His voice was layered with hatred and envy. He was likely exaggerating about the conditions in San Francisco and the nature of the two praetors.

Unfortunately, most of the people here weren't observant enough. They cried out with anger every time he spoke badly about the praetors and cheered when he declared he wanted freedom and peace from their oppression. Through the cries and cheers, Percy found two Enforcers and two Hunters, including the one that he spoken up.

It seemed as though the four of them were a team. Percy found them conversing in the alley behind the bar after the event was over. They all froze when they saw him. He pulled back the hood of his cloak and adjusted the shoulder scabbard that held Anaklusmos. The stars illuminated their faces through the shadows of the alley.

They didn't look much older than him.

"Hello," one of the Enforcers greeted. "How are you doing, young man?"

Percy smirked. "What information did you get about the Roman?"

They glanced at each other, and the Hunter who had spoken up stepped forward. "My name is Terra. Who are you?"

"Percy," he answered honestly. "Former member of the Special Operations Force. Currently a rogue assassin hired by the government to follow up on the task of the 'guy from the Far West in Aeleos.'"

"Percy Jackson?" the other Hunter stepped forward. She looked a year or two older than him. "You mean… the best swordsman in the past many decades? Zoë knows you pretty well, Jackson."

She had brown hair and brown eyes. Her fair skin glowed faintly in the moonlight.

"You look familiar," Percy decided.

"My name is Katie Gardner."

His eyes widened in recognition. "No way, you became a Hunter? What? You were a pacifist back when I… wow, that's amazing. You made it through!"

"Through dumb luck," Katie sighed. "I thought you looked familiar. Getting back on task… did President Castellan order you to this task? I heard that someone was going out to follow this scumbag and see what his true motives are."

"Have you guys been monitoring him since he arrived?" he asked.

She nodded. "He's been recruiting all the criminals. And a couple of the Kynigos want to join him too. You have to admit, he's crafty with his words and pretty persuasive."

Percy nodded. It wasn't that his words were particularly crafty. It was just his demeanor, how he came off, and how he used the situation surrounding him. He truly felt no interest in attacking Olympia at the moment, and he used that against anyone suspicious of him. Percy was sure that if he did succeed in the Far West, he would turn his attention to Olympia, and either try to assimilate Olympia into the Far West, or take it by force.

"So how are we going to deal with him?" Percy asked.

"We're just making sure that he's not a threat to Olympia," Terra explained. "So it doesn't really matter how to deal with him unless he actually tries something. Currently, it seems as though he's not going to trying anything on us."

"Yeah…"

But Percy couldn't help but think there was something odd about Octavian. Something that he'd put aside when he first saw the Roman was a strange feeling. It was almost as if his instincts were screaming _ENEMY_! It was just like the paper advertisement. It was weird, considering the dagger he kept with him at all times was a Western, or _Roman_, weapon.

The five of them quickly dispersed after deciding they would simply monitor the Roman's movements through Aeleos, and Percy went to a nearby motel.

Blackjack was oddly quiet as they stopped up.

That night, Percy slept a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>It was two nights later when he ran into Katie Gardner again.<p>

The day was October 31st, and the celebration of Halloween was underway. Kids and teens were dressed up in a variety of different costumes: many were dressed up as what they wanted to be when they grew up. The ironic thing was that most of the parents didn't have a place in one of the occupations. After all, out of a couple million people each year, only a hundred thousand made it at the end.

Percy saw a little girl dressed up as a Hunter. Her mother was pregnant, and her father was dressed in casual clothing. They didn't look like they were part of any of the five occupations. Scratch that… _four_ occupations. It would take some getting used to, but the SOF was no longer an option.

The girl was holding an empty pumpkin as a basket for candy. Percy smiled wistfully. He wished he could go back to the times when he went trick-or-treating. Those were fun times. Especially because he was with Annabeth and Thalia for a large part of his trick-or-treating life. They had made it more fun.

He still felt kind of guilty for snapping at them and trying to drive them away, but he also felt bitter that they favoured some random prick over him.

Percy sighed. Everything gets so much more complicated as you age: sex, work, relationships, hormones, hatred. He wasn't even thinking about real examples anymore. There were too many things going on in his life. He liked everything better in the camps. _There_, you could make a goal. You only had to work toward the goal. You didn't have to worry about anything else. Everyone was like that.

Sometimes being a kid is just so much simpler, he thought.

"Miss the old days?" a soft voice said from behind him.

He turned and saw Katie Gardner standing there, a wistful look on her face.

"I miss them too," she said. "Don't worry."

They watched little kids walk back and forth, tugging at their parents' sleeves and playing when their friends. They ran around, going from door to door in their costumes and asking for candy. Candy… snacks made with sugar.

"I'd love one," Percy admitted with a short laugh. "It'd be nice to have a piece of candy."

Katie tossed something in a cloth wrapper. Percy glanced at her before opening it up. His jaw fell slack when he saw the amount of chocolate bars inside.

Katie laughed as he turned back to her. He asked, "Where the Hades did you find all of this candy?"

She swiveled her head and looked at the twin sisters dressed in identical outfits. "I help run a daycare center here. There are a lot of little kids, and we're given candy to help with the little kids. Besides, the sugar helps their health."

Percy began digging into his chocolate.

After a while, Katie said, "You know, it's amazing to think that without the immigration throughout the centuries, we wouldn't even have this holiday. And a whole bunch of other holidays. Like Christmas. Remember, that small cult of Christians immigrated here. Of course, when they found actual proof of divinities here they converted, but we kept their holiday. I guess it's to appease them a little."

"Thanks to the immigration!" Percy agreed, stuffing his face full of candy. "Next year, get blue candy for me. Promise me that."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Still on that blue food thing?"

He glared at her.

She winced. "Sorry. Right… it's a sensitive topic for you. Sorry."

There was one piece of chocolate left when a small boy came up to them dressed as an SOF assassin. Percy stared curiously at the young boy as the boy asked, "Can I have that last piece of chocolate?"

Percy glanced back and forth between the boy and the chocolate. He was tempted to pick up the chocolate and stuff it in his face, but he knew that would've been rude, especially with the kid's parents approaching down from the sidewalk. In the end, he relented and gave the kid his chocolate. The boy whooped in excitement.

"Hey, you're dressed as an assassin!" Katie exclaimed.

"Yup." The boy stuck out his chest proudly. "One day, I'm going to be part of the SOF. I don't care if it was destroyed. I'm going to be a part of it."

"You could restart it, eh?" Katie suggested.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed in excitement. "Are you a Hunter?"

"Yup." She popped the P.

"Woah! Cool! Can you show me your archery stuff? Shooting a bow and arrow is awesome! I wanna learn!"

"Sure. Let's go on the field so we don't hurt anybody, okay? As long as we stay within sight of your parents, m'kay?"

"Okay!"

The two of them went off to the field behind Percy. He couldn't help but smile at their backs. Katie was really energetic around kids. He never expected her to be like this. He remembered her as a quiet gardener when he was in the orphanage. She and her father lived right next door, so the girl came over to play with the kids. But she was always reserved and stayed in the garden. Annabeth and Thalia were the first ones to talk to her, and the three of them became friends. Of course, Katie went to the State 2 camp while the other two went to the State 3 camp.

As the parents approached, Percy was surprised to see that they still looked young. In fact, if the boy was six or seven, they were like twenty-five.

They were watching their child contentedly. Both of them had large bags under their eyes, perhaps from lots of work. Percy expected that. If anyone had children before they really established themselves, it was usually hard for them to work hard to be able to sustain and nice lifestyle for their kid. But judging from their clothing, they had worked extra hard.

"Excuse me, sir," the father said.

Percy looked up at him.

"Thank you for giving Garrick that chocolate bar," he said. "My son loves chocolate."

"Oh, no need to be polite," Percy said, waving his hands in dismissal. "He probably would've seen me as a rude guy if I _hadn't_ done that anyway."

"True," laughed the mom.

Percy suddenly felt at ease. These two might be parents, but they weren't that much older than him. He laughed along and turned to face Katie and the kid. The former was shooting arrows at a tree, nailing corners and holes with extreme precision.

"She's good," the woman pointed out. "I wish I could have continued."

"Oh, I'm so hurt, Hannah," the man said. His tone was dry and joking.

She kissed him. "But I don't regret what I did one bit."

Percy glanced at them. "How old are you?"

Normally, people would consider it rude to ask a woman her age, but Percy knew she wasn't much older than he was. She sighed and said, "Twenty-four. Our boy is seven years old, by the way. Simple mathematics leads to—"

"He was born when you were seventeen?" Percy's eyes were wide. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. "And sixteen… oh man, were you kicked out?"

"Yeah," the man nodded.

The woman named Hannah looked at her kid. "I know, we were too young for sure… but sometimes, you love someone so much that it just… happens. No, that's not the right way to put it. I guess it just meant we had no self-control."

"How did you manage?" Percy asked.

"Lots of work," the man groaned. "Piece of advice: if you have a girl, try to make sure not to have a kid until later. It's a lot of hard work. Don't take it the wrong way; I don't regret that my son was born, but sometimes…"

Percy blushed. Maybe he was nineteen, but he was still a virgin. He'd never really slept with a girl because… well, he hadn't even kissed the girl that he liked. Truth be told… he'd never really even kissed a girl before on the lips. He'd kissed a few on the cheek and forehead, but none on the lips.

"Actually—"

"Wait a minute, I recognize you!" Hannah exclaimed. "You're… you're one of the three survivors. That outfit… only an assassin would wear those clothes and carry weapons that way."

Percy looked away. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Oh my goodness, I'm _so_ sorry!" Hannah apologized. "I didn't mean to… it just kinda popped out. I'm sorry if I offended you or anything."

"Nah. It's okay."

It wasn't. And the man caught onto it pretty quickly.

"C'mon, Hannah. It's getting late. We should start getting back now."

"O-okay."

"Thanks, assassin. For the chocolate, I mean."

"Sure."

And with that, Percy was alone with Katie Gardner again.

Percy never really noticed how big the difference between the life of an assassin and the life of an ordinary person was. Now he knew. Raising a family, working, living life. Percy hadn't even conquered love.

Was it revenge that drove him? Was it the desire to see Gabe and his friends suffer that made him walk forward?

_What a stupid reason_, he thought. _What stupid way to live._

"But it's all I have."

"What did you say?" Katie asked.

"Nothing," he replied stoically. "Nothing at all."

* * *

><p>Octavian didn't understand this "Halloween."<p>

It was simply a pointless, stupid holiday. But he tried to make himself enjoy it to not destroy the façade he'd worked hard to keep. Truly… those four government spies thinking they could truly keep an eye on him. If he had control of the four cities of Rome, he would send his army to destroy the impudent Greeks.

Maybe the mortals didn't realize it, but their government was run by some half-blood named Luke Castellan. He was a son of _Hermes_, the Greek god for Mercury.

"To think such scoundrels exist," Octavian spat.

He and his seven guards were walking down the street toward a local park said to be the burial site of the half-bloods who'd fought the invading Romans in his city.

"At least they had the sensible mind to keep the city name Aeleos."

"They pronounce it _AY-lee-ohss_, sir," one of his guards. "With an _ohss_ rather than an _uhss_. Like barbarians."

"Very true, Marcus."

"But Olympia's population gives us a good source of troops to use against praetor Grace," another soldier commented.

"Yes, yes. That's why I came here. For Jupiter's sake, was it not that obvious?" Octavian sighed. "Anyway, I've already sent the first task to our ten thousand lovely helpers from across Aeleos, _with_ authorization from that blasted _president_. What an idiot? He's allowing me to destroy part of the border guard. Besides, there will be no punishment because once they break through they have to wait in the Neutral Zone for me. My visit to Olympia ends in three days. If they cannot survive until then, they are not much use to me."

Right then, a mob of at least twenty teenagers appeared around the corner and began throwing something at them. When they approached, Octavian realized that they were illegal substances: gunpowder. He knew from his very first day that gunpowder was illegal to anyone not a part of those four occupations.

The things he'd come to know as firecrackers exploded in the air and spurted sparks in an array of directions. He saw the shields go up, but the blast was too much for Marcus. He screamed in pain and clutched his eyes.

Some guy from the mob, who was holding a torch, shouted, "Get outta here, stupid Westerners!"

Then the teens charged. Octavian saw a range of weapons in the hands of the teens as they approached. He was already one man down. Cursing, he told his soldiers to hold their ground. They locked their shields as the teens crashed into them.

Two of his men fell. Five teenagers fell.

The attrition rate was too much. Four of his men were left standing against fifteen angry teenagers. Even with their training, every child in Olympia was taught to fight from the age of twelve. They would be no pushover if he didn't have an army with him. And Marcus, his best fighter, was still writhing in pain on the ground.

Just then, a clear sound pierced the sound of clashing metal. The teens slowed to a halt as the blasts from the horn continued.

"No way!" one of the teenagers muttered. "Not the Hunters!"

"Scatter!" someone shouted.

But the darkness suddenly darted forward. Out of the darkness was something bronze. With lightning-quick reactions, a bronze sword whirled around and easily turned the teenagers into sock-puppets. Octavian was instantly angry. The ease in which the teens were falling reminded him all too well of how Jason Grace took down his opponents. But then he realized that this swordsman fought nothing like Jason.

Jason fought like a soldier. He was well-trained. But this boy, with his arc of destruction, fought with an aura far more dangerous than that of Jason's. Hope filled his chest. There was no way Jason could win against this opponent. And the miraculous part, the swordsman wasn't killing them. Each strike was with the flat of his blade.

Despite this, the strikes were still faster than anything Marcus could have struck with. Octavian wondered how fast the strikes would be when they were meant to kill. Then he reached the problem: he was too powerful. Surely, the swordsman would want power, and Octavian wouldn't dare let it fall in the hands of someone this powerful.

If there was a way…

From the point he entered the battle, merely eight seconds passed until he took down the last of the remaining fifteen.

When Octavian met the boy's eyes, he saw something dark inside them. Anger, tragedy, pain, sadness. Octavian smiled. These were things he could exploit.

The boy was not really a boy. He looked almost twenty. His hair was cut shorter than the average person's hair but not quite short enough to be fit for the Roman army. His eyes were a dark blue-green colour.

He sheathed his sword and stared at Octavian. "Who are you?"

_So he lacks manners_, though Octavian.

"My name is Octavian. I am a proud Roman. Thank you for saving me from these annoying pests."

"Percy! Percy!"

A girl came running down the street. She looked worried. "The Enforcers are going to be here any moment. You should get out of here. And bring the Romans with you."

The boy named Percy nodded. He ordered the Roman soldiers to help Marcus walk. Octavian stared in wonder at the commanding tone in the boy's voice. Whether he liked it or not, the boy was a commander. This Percy was a do-er, not a follower.

But he knew exactly what he needed to do to convince this boy. "Excuse me, Percy? I have a proposal for you…"

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Read and review!<strong>

**Question of the Chapter: If there was one thing you could change about the ending to the Blood of Olympus, what would it be? If so, why? If not, why not?**

**Thanks,  
>SharkAttack719<strong>


	10. Are They Friends?

****Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.****

* * *

><p><strong>10 – X<strong>

Infiltrating Octavian's trust and group was a lot easier than expected.

For some unexplainable reason, Octavian had offered him a spot in his little Olympian army. Sure, it meant that his job would be easier, but it was also suspicious. Percy still didn't know the Roman's motive.

The next day, however, Percy received news from Katie: a mile stretch of the border was devoid of living guards. According to the Enforcers who'd inspected the area, there were over five thousand confirmed deaths. And the ones who'd killed them… Olympian criminals. The identities of five hundred or so belonged to wanted criminals in State 5. Not all of them committed large-scale crimes, but many were linked to Deu5 M0rti5 and other criminal organizations.

_That's two attacks by Deu5 M0rti5_, Percy thought grimly. _They're going to pay when I get back._

Killing Yancy Turnbuckle was not even close to solving the problem of taking down Deu5 M0rti5. Percy remembered how he'd dismembered the old man. He closed his eyes and shuddered. Even after everything he'd done, and after what Turnbuckle did, Percy still hated the brutality that took his life. Surely, he could have made it quick and painless… or if he wanted him to suffer, send him to prison.

The only problem with that was he had no evidence or legal justification for his killing. He figured that he was lucky to have escaped punishment.

Of course, unless granted by the government, Percy couldn't kill _anyone_ now. In some ways, he liked it better that way. He was kind of tired of killing. But on the other hand, there were so many who hadn't paid the price of crime that he wanted to find.

But that would have to wait until later.

For now, he had to concentrate on marvelling the beautiful architecture of San Francisco.

The trip across the Neutral Zone and the Far West had taken about as much time as it would have taken to get from Boston to St. Louis. It was impressive, considering Percy'd always thought that Olympia took up more than half of the continent.

The Neutral Zone was a lot tamer than he'd been led to believe.

Hordes of bison roamed around the large, outstretching plains, and various villages were scattered around in very strategic locations. Many settlements were along rivers, and it seemed agriculture was very well developed.

Also, there were a lot of attractive girls around his age. Even without those fabricated industrial products for women, these girls were hot. They were all really strong, too. There was even this one girl who beat him five times in a row in arm wrestling. Many of the other guys and girls from Olympia, however, didn't enjoy their times in the villages and got in disputes with the local people. The few who defended the villagers were usually beat up and left behind. All except him.

Once they got to something called the Colorado River, the elevation began increasing. Octavian called the mountains before them the Rocky Mountains. Percy could see the sharp-tipped mountains in the distance, but it seemed as though the path they were taking would lead them right through the mountains without having to climb them to their peaks. The Olympians always dramatized this and claimed the mountains were enormous and had to be conquered before reaching the other side, even though hundreds to thousands of immigrants arrived each year from the Far West.

Despite this, the air became thin, and the criminals were already malnourished from their time without heavily processed food. There was a lack of wine in the Neutral Zone, which led many to abandon the group. But there was a group of five hundred who were loyal to Octavian and marched the heads of those who dared to abandon on spears.

By the time they crossed the Rocky Mountains, each of the five hundred had a head on a spear.

There were many deadly creatures that stalked around the mountains as well. There were large bears and wolves and coyotes that attacked the vulnerable and the weak. Percy found himself protecting the people he wanted to kill. He chastised them about provoking the animals by throwing sticks and stones at them. They didn't listen, and the next time they cried for help, Percy watched the wolves tear them apart.

Of the original ten thousand who'd come on the journey, eight thousand arrived in San Francisco.

There was no doubt that everyone knew why this large group of warriors from Olympia had arrived in their hometown. But Percy was more concerned about the wonderful architecture of the city.

A wide-spread landscape of a marvelous city was laid out around a bay. Miles of white marble buildings with red-tiled roofs littered the landscape. Some had domes and columned porticoes. Others looked like palaces, with golden doors and large gardens. He could see at least three coliseums and a variety of building heights. There were small pockets of large, tall buildings—at least eight stories tall. Out in the middle of the bay, he saw what looked like a black brick palace, which looked like a palace of death. In contrast, on the small peninsula way out to the west, there was a white marble palace gleaming with golden light. Even from way out here, he could see a variety of marble statues around it.

That palace, despite its location away from everything else, seemed like the center of the city.

There was a mountain to the north of the city, and Octavian was pointing to that as he explained something to the people around him.

Behind him, a group of five people around his age split away from the group. They ran to escape. Immediately, the sound of a horn blasted in the distance, and a group of Octavian's followers began chasing after the group of five.

Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself running toward the fray, Anaklusmos in his hand, and one word repeating over and over in his head: _Kill!_

The least athletic girl was cut down first. The other four split in a panic. But two more fell: two guys his age.

"Stop!" the fourth one cried. "We don't want to be a part of this! We just wanted to escape!"

An arrow tore through her neck.

The fifth one stopped and collapsed with his hands in the air. He closed his eyes and shouted, "I surrender. Don't kill me! I surrender!"

And just as someone brought the blade down at his neck, Percy entered the fight. He sliced right through the attacker. His left foot hit the dirt in front of him, and he pivoted. Switching his blade to his left hand, he lunged at a second attacker. The second attacker twisted away, but Percy slashed forward with his _pugio_ and struck his chest.

Suddenly, the attention was on him. He deflected the arrows aimed at him and charged again. His senses opened up, and he was suddenly aware of the arguing and shouting for things to calm down. Percy killed four men and two women before they stopped their attack.

One of the five remaining Roman guards stepped through with an irritated look on his face. Percy recognized him as Marcus, the most capable of Octavian's officers. "What in Jupiter's name is going on here? Gods, more killing? How many times do we have to say that deserting the operation will only allow you to be killed? And you, Percy, what do you think you're doing killing other soldiers?"

He gritted his teeth. He hated Octavian and his officers even more. Not allowing those who wanted to desert to flee wasn't fair. They were going to die anyway. Why did they have to parade the heads? Maybe if Octavian had explained the journey to the Far West, then people wouldn't have joined in the first place. Percy could tell many of the people here didn't want to stay. They wanted to flee, but they were all afraid of dying.

As criminally active as they might have been in Olympia, Percy found himself empathizing with the thousands of people around him. The longer he stayed, the more he felt like stabbing Octavian.

"Come with me, Percy Jackson," Marcus ordered.

For a second, Percy thought about stabbing Marcus and making a run for it. But he looked around and saw the multitude of archers waiting for him to run. Hesitantly, he sheathed his sword and followed the Roman officer.

Marcus led him to Octavian, who was moving amongst the thousands of Olympians, pointing toward the mountain in the north and explaining something about meeting up. When Marcus dragged Percy to Octavian, the fox-faced Roman titled his head in question and smirked slyly. He didn't even need to ask.

"There was a mess over there," Marcus told Octavian. "With his combat abilities, I'm sure he would make a good spy. After all, he does resent you. It'd be good to get him off your shoulders."

Percy glanced at Marcus. He'd just confirmed Percy's fears; they were hesitant about Percy's skill with a sword and his rebellious behaviour. That kind of made him happy because he would be glad to strike fear into Octavian any time he could, but it also made him a little afraid. He had no idea what Jason Grace and Reyna Ramírez-Arellano were like, and a part of him feared that they were somewhat like what Octavian had described them to be.

Octavian whistled loudly, and a golden eagle suddenly shot out of the sky. It landed on his hand. Percy narrowed his eyes. _So the golden eagles truly do come from here_, he thought.

"Smell the scent of this boy," Octavian ordered the eagle. "Whenever I have a letter for _Percy Jackson_, find the scent of this body."

The eagle stared at him. It didn't move, but Percy knew it already affiliated his smell and his look with his name.

"Take all of his money, his footwear, and his _pugio_. Leave him with that beggar clothing of his and that sword. Better from him to look like a poor boy wanting to become a soldier than someone who looks like a threat."

"Very well, sir."

Marcus stripped Percy of all of his money and his footwear. His pugio was taken and shattered by Octavian. Percy tried his best to restrain from decking Octavian. When they were done stripping him of his valuables, Octavian said, "Okay. You're free to go, beggar. My eagle will make sure you do your job, or I will order him to kill you. And if you know anything about golden eagles, it is that they travel near the speed of sound."

Percy scowled but stayed silent.

"Go."

This "Pontifex Maximus" was retarded. Did Octavian really expect Percy to obey his orders by threatening him with an eagle? But a part of him was curious to infiltrate the government. After all, even if Octavian was an ass, if the government was worse, they were the ones that would have to be eliminated. No matter the case, Percy would find a way to kill Octavian. Clearly, once given the power, he would swoop into Olympia and destroy as much as he could.

So the retarded Roman let him free. And he took the opportunity as it came to him.

It was night-time when he made it to the downtown sector closest to that white palace. The whole area was massive. He wished he'd brought Blackjack, but with his suspicions about Octavian, he didn't want to risk his horse's safety. And he was right. If he'd brought Blackjack, surely the horse would be dead by now. That only meant that instead of taking an hour or two, it took him an entire afternoon.

The sun had just as he walked down Main Street. Shops were closing up, and people were scrambling to finish their shopping before people closed up for the night. Percy noticed that there were many alleys between the buildings. They seemed to be poorly lit, and as he adjusted his vision to the night, he saw that the alleys were perfect places for criminals to do their dirty work.

He passed a clothing shop. There was a tall blonde-headed boy standing just outside the door, tapping his foot impatiently. Percy noticed that when a couple people passed by him, they bowed respectfully. The boy looked about his age… or even younger. It was absurd. Still, he awkwardly bowed back. He had icy blue eyes and a scar on his lip. For some reason, Percy tensed up as he walked past the man. For a second, he got a sense of déjà vu.

He tried not to think about it.

"Man, where are Piper and Leo?" the guy grumbled. "They're late."

Percy shrugged it off and kept walking. He made it down a couple blocks when he suddenly heard something from down one of the alleys. He sighed. _Probably a rape or robbery or something_, he thought.

Glancing around, he made sure that the least amount of people were watching him as he looked down the alley and unsheathed his bronze blade.

"Leo!" a quick shout came.

Percy saw some guy swing a fist. For a moment, Percy saw a short, stocky boy punching a blonde-headed girl. But then reality set in, and he could only see shadows. The light didn't travel well down this alley.

He stepped in to help fight when the most miraculous thing happened. A boy's fists lit on fire. They literally lit on fire.

"I told you to not let him mutter his spell!" one of the assaulter's said.

"Stay back, Piper!" the boy growled. "I got this."

The names clicked in Percy's head, and he immediately glanced down the street. He thought he saw the blonde kid's eyes meet his, but they were too far away. There was no way that was possible. Still, the blonde kid suddenly went rigid.

Before he could stare any longer, the kid named Leo lunged forward with his fiery fists. He managed to land a strike on one of the assaulter's faces, who fell and clutched his face in pain, but a quick leg darted out and struck Leo across the head. He fell to the ground, unconscious, but his hands still on fire. It helped light up the scene for Percy.

There were five assaulters and two victims. One of the assaulters was still clutching his face in pain, but the other four were ganging up on the one girl named Piper. Percy couldn't see her face, but he could see that her clothes were already ripped. The assaulters had knives.

Percy calmly walked forward.

As the leader of the four grabbed the girl named Piper, idiot number four noticed him approaching from behind. Idiot number one slammed Piper against the brick wall, just as idiot number four alerted his fellow friends.

"It's a boy," idiot number one said without even turning around. "If you three lose, I'll be thoroughly disappointed." He grabbed Piper in an inappropriate spot.

For some reason, Percy snapped.

In a matter of seconds, there were four unconscious men on the ground, and Percy was sure a strong strike could kill the one he was on top of right now.

Right then, the blonde-headed boy turned the corner and shouted, "Piper! Leo!"

"Jason!" Piper cried, running toward the boy. They hugged and embraced and shared a quick kiss on the lips.

Percy stood up and looked down at the unconscious men. His sword was lying next to Leo, the kid with magic fire abilities. He shouldn't have been surprised, but he couldn't help it. To be able to hold balls of fire in his hands was a pretty cool ability. He took a step toward his sword when something gold flashed in front of him and he felt the cold metal of a sword pressed to his neck.

"Who are you?" the boy named Jason asked.

The name Jason was all too familiar to Percy. He took a look at the boy. Jason was taller than him and definitely looked more impressive as a soldier. After a good look, Percy decided that the boy in front of him was the praetor Jason Grace. How an eighteen-year-old managed to become a leader of an entire city was a mystery to him. And what a coincidence it was that he somehow managed to run into them right here.

"Hello, Jason Grace," Percy replied calmly. "Good evening to you as well."

Jason pressed his sword closer to Percy's jugular vein. "I don't want to repeat myself three times. So please, answer me. Who are you?"

"My name is Percy Jackson."

"What is your business here?"

"I saw some guys picking on younger kids. I stepped in to help. What else was I supposed to do? Let them get beat up? Sure, helping them seems a little like a scene out of a play or a book, but does that mean I shouldn't help them? Not sure if they would've been all right if I hadn't done anything." Percy gestured to Piper's messed up hair and clothes. "Prime example one!" Then he gestured to the unconscious body next to his sword. "And prime example two."

Jason took a deep breath and lowered his sword. Sheathing it in his scabbard, he said, "Thanks, bro."

Percy was a little surprised at his casual tone, but just shrugged. "Okay." He went over to pick up his sword and then grabbed Leo's body and slung it over his shoulder.

"Whoa, wait!" Jason exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Percy grunted. "I'm helping you guys bring his body to a safe spot. Where do you live?"

"Not far from here," Piper said. "It's a nice small home. I mean, just because Jason's praetor doesn't mean—"

"Hey, would you shut up, Beauty Queen," Leo muttered weakly. "I'm trying to be unconscious over here."

"Leo, you're all right!" Piper went up to him and kissed him on the cheek. Percy looked at Jason, but it didn't seem to perturb the praetor one bit.

_Looks like they're good friends_, Percy thought sourly.

"Man, getting carried by a dude is so not cool," Leo murmured. "If it was Calypso… oh gods…" Leo sighed as if he was in bliss.

"Your girlfriend?" Percy asked.

"No. But I'm working on it."

"They actually really like each other. Calypso's… well, she's kinda in a funny situation right now so…"

Percy grinned. "So basically they're both too scared to ask each other out?"

Piper laughed. "Haha, yeah."

Jason smiled. Percy was kind of surprised to see that kind of expression on what seemed to be a serious face. The blonde said, "Well, we should probably get going. Darkness is coming. This is when criminals become a real problem." He sighed. "I really wish Reyna would cooperate sometime and make some harsher rules."

The four of them made their way to the house.

He talked to them and watched their actions to get a sense of what they were like. From that walk, he determined that Jason was a very serious young man with a strong sense of honour and justice. He was compassionate and seemed to greatly care for his friends. Naturally, he seemed like the leader of the trio, but when asked about it, criticized himself and frequently brought up his errors and mistakes. Piper was much more aggressive and down to earth than he'd expected. She seemed very perceptive with feelings and seemed to care about her boyfriend, Jason, a lot. Leo was another entity in itself. Even while being lugged by another dude, his tone of voice was easygoing, upbeat, energetic and funny. Despite his joking manner, he seemed very protective over his friends.

These three seemed like pretty cool people.

"Actually, Leo and I are from Olympia," Piper told him. "We were born in State 6, but we left Olympia when we were really young. I remember that day like it was yesterday. There were a bunch of orphans around me and my dad, Leo being one of them, and the Border Guard was helping us flee from some crazy guards who wanted to kill us because we're half-bloods. We traversed the desert and ended up here. My dad, well, he made it to Los Angeles, but let me come up here. Last word I got from him was two years ago. Apparently, he was killed in a random shooting somewhere."

Piper tried not to cry, but she didn't seem like much of an emotionally reserved person. She was sniffling as tears trickled down her face. But Percy didn't bother to say sorry. He simply nodded and kept moving. After a minute or so, Percy asked, "So you're half-bloods?"

"Are you unfamiliar with the whole half-blood thing?" Jason asked. "I can clear it up for you."

"No, no. I'm fine with that. Just… who's your parent?"

"Venus. I mean, Aphrodite." Piper corrected herself to adjust to the Olympian names. "I consider myself a daughter of Aphrodite, but if I call myself that, the Romans get a little angry. Romans weren't exactly fond of the Olympians overthrowing them and kicking them out."

"You don't sound like you're used to saying Olympians," Percy pointed out.

Leo sighed. "Well, here people like us are called Greeks. Why? I have absolutely no idea. But that's the way it is. I'm a child of Hephaestus."

Percy raised his eyebrows, not that Leo could see them. "With that magic, I'd think you'd be a son of Hecate or something."

"No children of Trivia here," Jason muttered. "Guess the Roman version of her isn't so fond of making kids."

"Roman version?"

"Do you want the simple version or the long, winded version?"

"Simple please."

"Different names, different personalities. Man, Olympians sure trash their records if you don't know this basic stuff."

"Not my fault!" Percy put his free hand up in surrender. "Olympia is like a huge landmass dedicated to immigrants. I don't even know how many people of different ethnic backgrounds there are."

Jason smirked. "Like Leo and Piper? They're definitely not like us."

Percy looked at them. Leo definitely looked like someone from the southern part of State 6, but Piper looked different. She looked like someone from one of the ancient tribal groups in the south. If he remembered correctly, there were five ancient tribal groups in the southeast, and the Olympians allowed them to keep their traditional customs—Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole and Cherokee. Piper most likely descended from one of them.

"Creek."

"No."

"Choctaw."

"No."

"Chickasaw."

"No."

"Chickasaw."

"You already said that."

"I know. I just like saying that. Um, Cherokee."

"Bingo."

"Bingo? You know that game?"

"Well, Olympia and Rome have shared quite a long history. They have lots of things in common. Anyway, you guessed it. I'm a descendant of a goddess of beauty and a Cherokee man."

They stepped into the house, and Percy dumped Leo on the nearest couch.

The small elfish boy immediately stood up and huffed, "Rude!"

Percy titled his head and raised his eyebrows. "You really wanna pick a fight after I saved you?"

"We hardly even know each other!" Leo was dramatizing the whole situation. Pointing his finger dramatically, he said, "How can we bring you inside here without knowing the whole situation? I will ask exactly what my underling Jason Grace asked: who are you, monster?"

"Finally, you guys are home!" came a pair of exasperated voices from the hallway.

Three people stepped into the room. The first one Percy noticed was the big oriental guy. He had the normal brown eyes and short black hair of an oriental person, but had a babyish face. It seemed out of place with his stout body and military haircut. Clearly, the guy worked out and was strong, but it just seemed so weird.

"He's like a Koala bear with muscles," a shorter girl laughed from beside him.

Percy turned to her. The girl was very dark-skinned. She had shoulder-length curly cinnamon brown hair and gold eyes. She looked about four years younger than him, which made her fifteen. She seemed out of place here.

"I'm not sure whether to be insulted or happy…" the big guy said. "Hazel, was that a—?"

"It was a compliment, Frank," the third one sighed. "If you two could stop being so dense and date already."

"Like you have the right to say that!" Frank blurted. Realizing his mistake, he went wide-eyed and covered his mouth. He cowered in fear and jumped behind Hazel, who was trying her best not to burst out laughing. Not exactly a confidence booster for Frank, Percy thought.

The third person was a girl. She looked about the age of everyone else. She had piercing black eyes and glossy black hair worn in a single braid. Her skin tone was a little lighter than Leo's, but it was clear they both had the same ethnic background. She looked like a fierce leader, and the impassive yet analytical look she gave him reminded him of Annabeth.

She wasn't even looking at Frank, who had stopped cowering in fear.

"Reyna? Are you okay?" Jason stepped closer to her.

"I'm fine," she replied stoically, still staring at Percy.

"So you're the other praetor," Percy said, trying to elicit some form of emotion. "I've heard about you, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano."

Jason's look told him that that was a mistake.

Her look of surprise faded quickly. Pretty soon, he found himself on the floor, his arms locked to the ground, and a hand clamping down hard on his throat. He let out a quick laugh, which only made Reyna's hand clamp down harder.

But she made the mistake of not locking his legs. He tangled his legs around hers and began twisting.

He'd never really been pinned down before, mainly because he practiced striking martial arts. That meant he would try to defeat his opponent before they could get to the ground. In the SOF, they often had mixed martial arts competitions to determine who could last the longest in battle. He won some, he lost some, but overall, he did pretty well. The two styles of fighting he'd learned since the beginning of the camps at twelve were two oriental arts: Muay Thai and Kyokushin karate. They weren't similar fighting styles, but they both had the potential to be brutal. He kind of wished he'd learned some wrestling, but the best he could do against a girl was wriggle.

Finally, he felt the pressure on one of his arms decrease for a split second. Using his body weight and his legs, he threw his body weight to the opposite side he was facing. Reyna was caught off balance, and Percy flipped them so that he was now pinning her. He tried to keep the pin as far as he could from being sexual, but it didn't help that she was dressed in thin nighttime clothing.

Nevertheless, he locked her legs and kept a knee on her stomach. With his arms, he twisted one of her arms until he felt like he would snap her arm off, and put his elbow right at her throat, between her chin and her collarbone.

The other five were staring at them in disbelief. It seemed as though Reyna wasn't someone who could be defeated easily.

Percy let go and let Reyna catch her breath.

She looked about as disbelieving as everyone else. When she finally caught her breath, she asked, "How do you know my name?"

Percy opened his mouth, but stopped himself before he said the name. They would get suspicious if he said the name outright. He didn't want to lie, but he would have to come across as more trustworthy. After all, just because they seemed like nice people, didn't mean their way of operation was necessarily any better. A part of him was still puzzled as to how these young adults were in charge of a whole city, but he tried to put that off to the side.

"Well, I kinda hitched a ride with some idiot from here when I fled Olympia," Percy said. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the truth either. "He was spouting all sorts of bullshit, including stuff out you guys. Of course, I had no idea what you guys were like but I wanted to find out for myself. I fled the group tonight and somehow managed to run into Jason and Piper and Leo."

"Probably why you don't have shoes, I'm guessing," Reyna said.

Percy looked down and remembered how Octavian stripped him of his footwear. "Uh… yeah, kind of."

"So you know Octavian?" Jason asked. His voice was edging on suspicion.

"To be honest, yeah. But don't worry. I'm not spying on you guys for him, if that's what you're thinking. Trust me. You can have Jason or Reyna monitor me at all times. I won't do anything!"

Reyna and Jason shared a look.

Reyna shouted, "Aurum! Argentum!"

Suddenly, a pair of metal dogs suddenly appeared out of what was seemingly thin air. _They're more in touch with the magical essence_, he noted. _Maybe I should find out what children of Poseidon can do._

One of the dogs was gold and one was silver.

"Full name, parentage, age, sex and birthplace," Reyna ordered. "Speak!"

"Do you really need to ask if I'm a guy?" Percy asked.

The two metal dogs growled, which made Percy wary. They looked like they could actually tear him to shreds before he even knew they were coming. With a resigned sigh, he stated, "Perseus Jackson, son of Sally Jackson and god Poseidon. I turned nineteen just under three months ago, I have a penis, and I was born in the Olympian city of Eboracum Nova, commonly known to citizens of Olympia as New York."

Reyna choked. "A child of Neptune?"

"Poseidon," Percy corrected.

Frank's eyes were wide. "No way…"

Hazel was looking at him with giddy-looking eyes. "You're just like Frank!"

Percy expressed his doubt: "Frank's a child of Neptune?"

"No, I'm a descendent of Poseidon, but I'm a child of Mars. Er, Ares where you're from."

"Well, I guess I haven't really fully introduced myself," Jason said. He stood up. "Jason Grace, son of Beryl Grace and Jupiter… ah, Zeus, right? Turned eighteen earlier this year, I'm a guy, and I was born in Los Angeles."

For some reason, Percy felt tense, as if he recognized the boy. _Grace. Zeus. Beryl. Los Angeles._ Why did all of those things seem to connect?

"Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus and Esperanza Valdez. Turned eighteen earlier this year. I'm a guy. And I was born in Houston, State 6."

"Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite and Tristan McLean. Turned eighteen this past summer. I'm a _girl_. And, um, I don't remember the city… but the area was called Oklahoma in State 3. The place I was born, I mean."

"Um, Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto and Marie Levesque. I'm turning sixteen in about a month. I'm a girl. I was born in Olympia but moved here when I was really young."

_So Romans can be born in Olympia?_ Percy thought. _Can what the Romans call Greeks be born in the Roman cities too?_

"Frank Zhang, son of Mars and Emily Zhang. Turned eighteen last month. A guy. Born in Vancouver."

"Is that the northernmost city?" Percy asked.

Frank nodded quietly.

"Cool."

Reyna cleared her throat. "Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano. Daughter of Bellona. Eighteen in spring. Girl. Puerto Rico."

"What's Puerto Rico?" Percy asked.

"It's a place in between Olympia and Rome," the female praetor said. "But my true home is San Francisco. That will never change."

"So now we know a little bit more about each other!" Leo said in an excited tone. "Great, now let's play a game!"

"Um, Leo, I don't think we should be playing a game right now," Frank said nervously. He was trying to send an unspoken message to Leo, but it wasn't working. It seemed like everybody _but_ Leo understood what he was hinting at.

"What?" Leo said dumbfounded.

"Hey, Leo," Jason said suddenly. "Why don't we go upstairs and prepare dinner? I know you love making your tofu tacos."

"Sure." Now Leo's expression took on a more serious tone. "Will it be all right?"

"Go on, repair boy." Piper put as much confidence into her voice as she could. "We'll be all right. Make an extra good dinner for us and, um, our new guest for the night?" It sounded like she was asking for permission.

"Yes," Reyna decided. "We'll be fine."

Leo nodded silently, and he and Jason made their way out of the room and into the hallway. As their footsteps thudded on each step of the staircase, all eyes turned to Percy, the stranger. The son of Poseidon kind of felt awkward with everybody staring at him, but he mustered up his courage and stared straight back at them.

Frank breathed deeply, and his eyes began to wander. The Koala bear with muscles was getting antsy and uncomfortable.

"You can go if you want, Frank," Hazel said, noticing his discomfort.

"But—"

"It's sweet of you to worry," she said with an embarrassed smile, "but I trust that this guy won't pull anything. If he does, he'll have to deal with three well-trained soldiers of Rome."

"I don't think he'll pull anything," he agreed. "But if you make him mad… I don't know if it's because I'm a son of Mars, but I don't think that you can win. He doesn't look like someone who'll go down in one blow, fatal or not."

Percy met Frank's eyes. The son of Mars gave him a wary look. Percy smiled as best as he could. "I swear to Jupiter I won't do anything to physically harm the three girls present in this room unless they physically attack me."

"An oath to Jupiter?" Reyna asked. Her expression was unchanged, but her tone was curious. "A god you hardly know?"

"If he's anything like Zeus, I think I have a general idea," Percy noted with a sly smile. "If they're different forms of the same entity, I don't think they would change drastically."

"So you really don't know much about the Roman gods," Hazel sighed. She turned to Frank. "I'll be fine. Trust me. If you don't want to be here, you don't have to be. Why don't you help with cooking?"

Frank frowned for a moment until suddenly he looked as though he'd gotten an idea. He nodded, hugged Hazel, and dashed out of the room.

Hazel looked away from Piper, Reyna and Percy in embarrassment.

Percy noticed the amused faces of Piper and Reyna as they continued to stare at her. Percy decided it was safe to join in. "You know, Reyna's right. You two should just start dating. Doesn't it seem kind of weird to you that you're the only fifteen or sixteen year old here?"

"Shut up," was her only response.

"Getting back to the topic of conversation," Reyna urged, "I want you to tell me what you know about what Octavian has planned, if you know it at all."

Percy told them all he knew: Octavian's plan to mass a horde of rebels to take over San Francisco. And he told them what he feared: Octavian's desire to take control over all four cities of Rome and invade Olympia.

"So we're on the same boat then," Piper concluded. "Reyna and Jason have been trying, for a couple months now, to quell the riots that he's been starting up. He's brainwashing people into thinking Jason and Reyna are the enemy."

"To him, you _are_ the enemy," Percy said. "Don't judge the situation from your perspective only. Find a way to expose his nastiness. He doesn't seem to be the kind of guy to fight, so maybe if you could bait him out and make him look cowardly, people will stop looking at him as a fearless leader who deserves control of the city."

"The problem is that he's the Pontifex Maximus," Reyna said with a growl. "He has full authority to claim connection with the gods, even if he's never seen them before. He claims to everyone, including us, that he can sense anything with magic in it. How ridiculous does that sound? Who cares if you can sense magic? And not one present has come from the gods ever since he became the Pontifex Maximus. I think he's been driven mad because he was given the augur's sight by his ancestor, Apollo."

"You're contradicting yourself," Percy pointed out. "You criticized his claim to have connection to the gods, yet you appear to admit that he was given the augur's sight by a god. Is it actually Apollo? As in both gods are named Apollo?"

Hazel nodded. "You're right. That is logical. But Octavian, ever since he wasn't elected praetor, has gone mad with power. Maybe he does have the augur's sight, but it's not like he's using it for something useful. Is he seeing visions that bringing in Olympians will help destroy the government?"

Reyna knit her eyebrows. "I don't know."

They mulled in silence some more.

As soon as Percy opened his mouth to say something, there was a shout from upstairs: "Dinner's ready!"

Piper stood up. "Man, I'm hungry. After getting beat up in that alley, I just feel like falling asleep. Ugh! Come on, Reyna. Hazel. Percy. Let's go get some food."

Piper and Hazel left first, but before Reyna could leave, Percy stopped her.

"Hey, Reyna!"

She stopped and turned to face him. Her expression was no different than it had been throughout the conversation: cold, unmoving, calculating. "What is it, Percy?"

"Do you know where Octavian would be staying at night?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes. He has his family property. It is nearby to here. Why do you ask?"

He checked the extremely small pouch strapped to his waist. Untying the belt, he grabbed the pouch in his left hand. He undid the knotted string and slipped two black vials out of the pouch. Both of them were labelled, and he held them up for Reyna to see.

"I just want to check up on our dear friend Octavian," Percy said with a devilish smile. "Now, let me hear your opinion. Which do you think would be better for our friend?"

Her eyes went wide as she recognized the names.

"Cyanide or hemlock?"

* * *

><p><strong>I wrote this a really long time ago. I've been really busy with stuff so I haven't had much of a chance to write. Enjoy. Tell me about issues you have with the plot or the grammar.<strong>

**Thanks,  
>Shark.<strong>


	11. When in Rome

******Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.******

* * *

><p><strong>11 – XI<strong>

"I can't believe you managed to convince everyone," Reyna complained. "This is an _insane_ idea."

Percy nodded. "I know. I know. Quit complaining. I'm actually trying to help you guys. I've been here a week and we haven't done anything. I'd prefer if we actually hurried up with this so I can get back to Olympia."

"But the plan is insane!" she cried. "There is no doubt to that. You're betting on the fact that Jason and Piper will be let into the palace a couple hours later to talk about me and letting me go, the fact that Leo will be able to pull off his mechanical stunt, and Frank and Hazel finding the right underground passage into Octavian's mansion."

"If it doesn't work, I'll think of something," he shot back.

"You can't possibly think you can fight your way out, can you?"

Percy turned away. "I wasn't thinking that."

He knew that the plan was all based on assumptions. He had been scouting the guards of Octavian's palace for a few days. He didn't appear once in front of the scrawny scarecrow, but he got the feeling that Octavian literally had eyes everywhere. Yes, Octavian was definitely a threat. He needed to get rid of him as quickly as possible.

"Keep the scarf on," Percy hissed, as Reyna tried to take it off.

"I'm not taking it off. It's uncomfortable, so I'm readjusting it."

"It would look bad if I'm lugging around one of the praetors in shackles and chains. You _want_ me to get involved in your dumb politics?"

"You're already involved, you numb-skull," she growled. "And people are already staring at you. You're not a soldier so you shouldn't even be walking around with a long sword. _Especially_ because you wear it on your back, which makes it quite obvious and apparent."

"Stop questioning my methods," Percy snapped. "I never liked how the scabbard always hit my leg, and I prefer to not have a three-foot-long scabbard sticking out behind me like a tail. Unlike your guys' short swords, mine actually has reach."

"That's because your sword is for slashing!" Reyna groaned. "It's useless with you. You're too stubborn."

They approached the front gates of Octavian's place.

The day was cold and foggy. Percy had never been in this kind of weather. He could barely see four feet in front of him. Luckily, his ears were sharper when he couldn't see, so he heard the guards before he actually saw them.

From his ears, he could tell there were three of them, all with short swords, and with heavy armour. They were cold from the chill of the early morning, and they could hear the clashing of the heavy shackles that Percy had put on Reyna. They were approaching, and the archers in the towers, who weren't much use in this weather, climbed down to get a better view.

He took three steps forward and saw the whole operation. He had been right. The top of the towers were just a little too high to fire an accurate shot so the archers moved down one level. Their arrows were fire-tipped, clearly marked so that he could see that they were there. Romans weren't the stealthy kind when it came to fighting. That's what he'd learned from Jason and Reyna in the past few days. Their words were justified.

"Who dares come here?" asked one of the sword-wielding guards.

Percy yanked Reyna forward. "Percy Jackson. That spy that Octavian sent to spy on the praetors. I've got Reyna right here."

The guard stepped forward and tore the scarf away from her neck. He studied her expression for a moment before nodding and saying, "Go on in then, Jackson."

"Dakota," Reyna said coldly to the guard.

"Nice to see you again, praetor," the guard said.

Percy tried to read their conversation. As he pulled Reyna along with him, he realized that the guard was actually on Reyna's side. Unfortunately, he'd been assigned to guard Octavian, which was something he didn't necessarily want. That meant that the praetors already had somewhat of a spy inside Octavian's quarters. But Dakota was posted to outside guard duty because Octavian was suspicious of it.

He stepped through the front doors of the mansion and suddenly felt a blast of hot air. There seemed to be a million torches lit up in the entrance hall. Percy pushed Reyna forward, and she stumbled a bit, her leg chains getting tangled up. She glared at him but understood that it would make more sense for him to be behind her.

He tried not to be too rough with the praetor, especially because he didn't want to be on her bad side in this crucial moment, but also because she was a girl who wasn't bad and was quite pretty. He didn't feel like hurting someone like that.

Gently urging her forward with his fingertips, they walked in synchronization, each of his steps a foot away from hers.

They made their way through the massive hallways of the mansion and made it to the giant living room at the back of the house. The place wasn't that big in comparison to temples and palaces Percy had been to, but compared to the place Reyna and the rest of them stayed at, it was enormous. The living room looked like it was four times the size of Reyna's living room.

Octavian was lounging on the longest couch with a couple of his guards standing by. There were three girls passed out on the carpet around the glass table in front of him. Judging from their clothes and the wads of money sticking out from their lacy undergarments, they were prostitutes.

Percy remembered killing a guy who ran an illegal prostitute gig. The sicko made the hookers pay _him_ to have sex. That guy was a dick. Unfortunately, Timothy Simmonds had a thing against hookers—he was ashamed because his mother was one, and also he never knew who his father was—so he ended up killing them all. It was a pretty brutal killing, but Percy didn't blame him. Authority seemed to always be cruel.

"Sir," Percy said.

The guards turned to face him. Marcus stared at the captive in surprise as Octavian swiveled his head. His eyes landed on Reyna, and he smiled evilly. He slowly stood up, put his glass of wine on the table, and began clapping slowly.

Reyna gritted her teeth, but Percy squeezed her shoulder, and she turned to him with a glare.

"I can't believe you actually did it!" Octavian cried with glee. He made his way over.

Percy leaned close to Reyna's ear and whispered, "I'm going to knee the back of your knee. Grimace and fall to the ground."

He proceeded to knee her, and she made a good act. With a really good grimace, she collapsed to a knee. Percy had purposely shackled her arms in front of her so she could fight back easier, but he didn't expect her to really get into the act. She swung her arms at him, and he found himself blocking the strike and moved to elbow her across the temple. At the very last moment, he paused and just knocked the praetor off balance.

_So she's still angry about the plan_, he thought with an amused smile. _I think I like this girl_.

"Oh, Reyna," Octavian said in a sickly sweet voice. "You should know better than to fight a rogue bandit from Olympia. Those guys are tough. I've actually been to such a place, unlike you, who has only heard rumors and stories. You shouldn't have expected much from some low-life begging for help. But at least this low-life is useful and will help make the world a better place." He turned to Percy. "Did you make sure Jason Grace saw you taking her?"

"If I'd let him see me, I wouldn't have made it here," Percy snorted. "I left a note though. They'll probably come with a sizable force. I'd keep most people on the lookout at ground level. Jason might come through the front entrance, but it looks like I'm not the only Olympian they've helped. Beware of sneak attacks from the back of the house."

Octavian stared at him, trying to decipher any underlying meanings, but Percy was a better liar than people gave him credit for. Sure, when he was nine and some nice lady asked him what he was doing out all alone in the criminal hotspot in New York, he said he was part of the circus, but that was so long ago that it didn't even matter anymore.

"Very well. Bring the praetor to the carpet."

Percy did as he was told. Stepping over the unconscious bodies of the prostitutes, he forced Reyna to kneel on the carpet. She stayed silent the whole time, her posture tense.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about moving the prostitutes out of the way," Octavian said with a cruel laugh. He kicked one of the girls in the back as hard as he could. As weak as the kick was, Percy heard a sickening sound. The girl cried in pain and woke up. But she didn't move. Octavian reached for the money and brought out his knife. "I had a great time. But I'd like a refund."

Heartlessly, he grabbed the money and stabbed her right through the chest.

"You sick bastard," Reyna growled.

Octavian calmly turned toward her. "How rude! Percy, would you please punish her?"

Reyna immediately looked up. Percy begged for her forgiveness in a silent prayer before punching her across the face. She collapsed to the ground. He tried not to put too much force into it, but he had to look like he was showing her no mercy.

Octavian laughed and jumped around like a little kid. "Again! Again!"

Percy kicked her side and slammed her head against the floor. She didn't fall unconscious, but he could tell everything in her vision was hazy, and her thoughts were scrambled. He stepped away from her and crossed his arms. "That's all I'm going to do."

The Pontifex Maximus raised his eyebrows. "So you feel pity for the girl. Hm, sad but expected. Very well. I shall let you tend to her wounds later so that she does not die." He turned to his guards. "She's all yours. Do whatever you please."

One of the guards laughed hungrily and stepped up. He grabbed her hair, yanked her up onto her feet, and nailed her in the gut with a hard punch. Percy grimaced as Reyna began coughing. If she was hit more, she would end up coughing up blood.

They beat her up continuously for another five minutes. By the end of it, she was unconscious and heavily beat up. Percy wanted to step forward to help her, but it didn't seem like Octavian was done yet. With a malicious grin, he tore part of her top off, and ripped her cloak. He poured water on her and then took money and stuffed it into her underwear.

But he didn't do anything else to her.

Percy felt relief as they stopped and stepped back. He stood there in silence as Octavian took a swig of wine.

The Pontifex Maximus laughed maniacally. "That felt good. Payback for all these years. No good praetors." He turned to Percy. "Pick her up. Marcus will escort you to the prison cells. Don't worry. There's no one alive in there."

Percy clenched his fists and tried to stop the urge to punch the idiot in the face. But he obliged and picked Reyna up. He followed Marcus, who led him down a labyrinth of a path through the basement before they reached a giant hall of prison cells. It actually looked like a prison, except for the smell of rotten flesh.

Marcus wiped his nose in irritation. "Straight down to the end. I'll be watching you from here to make sure you don't help her sneak out."

"Where are the keys to the cell?" Percy asked.

"Next to the cell," Marcus said snappily. "Now go before someone comes down as asks me what I'm doing. And before you ask, there's already a whole first aid kit inside there. A nurse will come down to tend to more severe injuries, but I think you know how to cool down the injuries."

Percy gave him a suspicious look. "Don't tell me…"

"The praetors have become too un-Roman," Marcus said with finality, as if he wasn't going to take a rebuttal. "That is why I serve under Octavian. Don't get me wrong, Jackson. The augur's gone crazy, but for now, that is why I'm here."

The half-blood didn't press. He carried Reyna all the way to her cell. He kept the door unlocked so that he would be able to exit later, but slipped the key into his pocket just in case.

In the cold cell there was a tub of cold water, several cloths and towels, and a first aid kit, just as Marcus had promised.

"So it's universal," Percy noted as he looked inside the kit. Everything they had in Olympia they had here.

But he knew he wasn't a doctor. He didn't want to make things worse so he just broke Reyna's shackles, moved them away, and began stripping her down. He cut off her sleeves and rolled up the shirt to the underside of her breasts. Peeking under, there didn't seem to be any injuries sustained up high. Most of the hits taken were to the stomach and the sides. He also cut her pant garment off halfway up the thigh to expose those injuries as well.

As he worked on the upper body, he tied cold, damp cloths to her legs in the most affected places.

The nurse never came. It felt like hours, but her wounds were slowly healing. The cuts were beginning to scab, and the swelling had decreased. He was working on her thigh when she woke up.

He suddenly stopped and let go. He moved so that he could see her face, which was wet and covered with cloths. Reyna groaned and tried to get up, but the pain was too much for her. She relaxed. Feeling something funny down near her hip, she grabbed what seemed like paper and coins.

When she held it up, she screamed. _Denarii and paper bills_, she thought in a panic. _No… he couldn't possibly have…_

She shot up and felt the pain scream as it shot through her body. Percy grabbed her shoulders and shook her. Her eyes regained their focus and she looked down. He looked at the money in her hands and realized what she must have been thinking. Her undergarments _had_ been soaked with water, and with the soreness throughout her body, it could easily be interpreted… considering there were prostitutes on the floor…

"No, no!" Percy exclaimed. "He didn't do anything. He just pretended. To scare you, I think."

She looked at her body and seemed to realize how much of her clothes were gone. She went red and covered up the exposed parts of her body. He sat on his knees and didn't try to get any closer to her. After a couple seconds, she calmed down after looking at the extent of her injuries. Sucking it up, she exhaled deeply and nodded in appreciation.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"You recover quickly," he said.

She looked away. "I have to be adaptable to be praetor, Jackson. If I am not… I can't be praetor. Do you think someone who is stubborn and solely acts in one way and refuses to adapt can be a leader?"

"They can," he said. "Maybe not the most effective, but I know where you're coming from."

"So, answer my question. Where are we?"

"We're in the prison cells. Can't you smell rotten flesh?"

She rolled her eyes. "That could mean we're in a death pit or something. But considering the way you seemed to be hovering over me, I assume you're the one who brought me down here, guided by someone obviously. Um, you _did_ carry me in a safe manner, right?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, one person lift... like with one hand under your knees and the other supporting your back."

"Ah, I see…"

She leaned on him for support as she tried to stand up.

"Whoa!" He grabbed her shoulders. "Don't push yourself."

"Just help me get to the wall," she grunted.

Percy obliged and helped her walk to the wall. She ended up sitting down again, resting her head against the wall. Percy lugged the tub of water over and brought some cloths. He allowed her to treat her own arm and side wounds. He kept working at her legs.

After a while, he noticed she'd stopped.

He looked up and realized she was staring at him. Giving her a confused look, he asked, "What? Why are you staring at me? Am I doing something wrong?"

"In first impressions, you don't come off as a necessarily kind person," she said with a serious expression. "So… after this, I realize you are kind at heart. But what makes you act so serious all the time? Why keep that façade up?"

"Kind?" Percy laughed. "I'm not kind. I just… I hate the sight of some asshole beating up someone who doesn't deserve to get beaten up."

Reyna patted the ground next to her. "Come sit here."

He didn't question her. He moved in obligation.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I need something warm to rest my head on," she said as justification. "I'm only doing this because I don't want to rest my head on the ground or against the wall. Don't think anything funny, Jackson."

"I won't," he promised.

She sighed. "Continuing on the conversation earlier, I don't think I _don't_ deserve to be punished for things I've done in the past. I've done some pretty horrible things. If people found out what I did, I would be killed on the spot."

Percy exhaled deeply. "Well, it sure can't be worse than what I've done. Tell me, do you know what it's like to kill someone and _not_ feel guilty about it? Because I damn sure know what that's like. I've learned sword-fighting for the past seven or so years, eleven if you include toy swords at the orphanage. It's almost natural to me now. No, it _is_ natural to me now. Think about that. What person do you know exists simply to kill?"

The praetor blew her hair out of her face. "You don't exist simply to kill. You can abandon that life any time you want. Isn't that what Olympia is like? Freedom for everybody?"

Percy wanted to laugh at her for thinking such a ridiculous thing. But then he remembered she had never been to Olympia and probably didn't know about the purge. "Thirteen years ago the president, May Castellan, ordered the immediate capture and execution of all half-bloods in Olympia. There were a lot of people against it, but there were a lot of people for it. Around 40,000 half-bloods were killed. The most were on New Year's Day—year 2000. Five thousand were killed on one day. It was late summer in 2001. I came home and was in the backyard. This soldier seemed to know my mother and my step-father. He killed my parents in front of me and pretty much told me my time to die would come when I turned twelve. What he didn't take into account was that May Castellan would be poisoned into insanity before I could turn twelve. On that day, I killed someone. I grabbed a sword and killed someone." He looked at his hands. "I was eight. I still feel scared from what I did that very day. But for some reason, I don't feel guilt. And since then, I've taken a multitude of lives. How do you see me now, Reyna?"

She shook her head. He could feel her silky, black hair tickling his exposed elbows. She was shivering but spoke confidently, as usual: "You're the same person. It was part of your job. Not feeling guilt… that's somewhat abnormal, but I think you're forcing yourself to think that way. Why? Because it's part of your job to move forward. That's what an assassin does, right?"

He looked at her in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Who else wears a cloak like that?" Reyna said with a chuckle. "I may not have known about the half-blood killings, but I heard about the five occupations."

"There are four now," he said grimly.

She looked at him in curiosity.

He touched her arm and felt goose bumps. He slipped his cloak off and tied it around her. The immediate chill of the underground prison block seeped through his much thinner shirt. Luckily, it was wool so it wasn't that cold, but he suddenly felt guilty for allowing Reyna to endure this chill.

"What are you doing?" Reyna asked.

"Aren't you cold?"

"I can handle it."

"We need you healthy." He smirked. "Don't think anything funny, Ramirez-Arellano."

She glared at him and punched him across the shoulder. Despite her weak appearance, the punch was still strong. He laughed and grinned heartily. He admired her mental and physical strength. At the same time, he kind of envied her mental strength—to get close to a stranger in a position usually only couples exhibited and not feel totally awkward—and felt a little jealous. Even now, with her being so close to him, Percy felt weird feelings bubbling up inside of him.

They weren't really friends. But they weren't total strangers. He figured that's the part that made him most uncomfortable. It was like getting too close to an acquaintance at work or something like that.

"I regret even touching you now," she said darkly.

But he smiled. "I'm sure you do, Reyna."

They sat for what seemed like an hour. There was no natural light, so Percy couldn't tell the time by looking into the sky, but he figured it was afternoon by now. Although they'd reached the place in the early morning, he remembered a lot of time passing as he tended to her bruises and wounds.

Suddenly, Reyna, who had curled up in his thick cloak, said, "You're shivering, Percy."

"I'll be fine," he said back. But his body felt really cold.

She frowned and then shouted, "Marcus! Get over here!"

The sound of footsteps echoed down the prison block. Soon enough, the figure of a tall Roman soldier appeared on the other side of the bars. He was holding a blanket in his right hand. It looked thick enough to keep him warm.

"Thanks, Marcus," Reyna said, as tossed the blanket inside the cell.

"Make sure, when the help comes," Marcus said in a monotonous voice, "that you tell them to hit me as hard as they can. I don't want Octavian thinking I went down so easily."

The praetor nodded. "Very well."

And they waited some more.

It was a long and arduous journey to supper. The food that came down was simply cold soup and bread, but it felt like he was eating a feast. Percy made sure to test Reyna's food for poison before she ate it, just in case Octavian really wanted to kill her now, but when he found none, he assumed Octavian still wanted to keep them alive.

After dinner, Reyna decided to sleep. She actually looked pretty tired. Percy let her tuck herself in the corner and made sure that he kept close to her to keep some of the heat toward the young woman.

He felt that Reyna was a nice change of pace from Liz. Sure, they had their similarities, but like Annabeth, they had their differences. Reyna seemed a lot stricter than both of the others, and unlike them, it seemed as though something from Reyna's past still haunted her. In a way, he felt empathy toward her. There were things in the past that he'd done that he wished he hadn't, and they haunted him to this very day.

Percy counted two hours after Reyna went to sleep that he decided to take a rest. After all, he'd been trained to keep his consciousness always lingering, ready to wake up at the slightest disturbance in the pattern of the night. It was unfortunate when he was in the SOF because whenever Liz had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, he woke up. But in the case of being in a prison cell, if Octavian tried to murder them in their sleep, he would wake up and kill that bastard in "self-defence."

He woke up to hushed voices.

"Should we leave him here?" said a guy's voice. "Jason wanted to but…"

"I don't think that's fair," whispered a girl's voice. "He hasn't done anything wrong. Sure, it's suspicious that he suddenly shows up, but it's not like there's anything wrong with him. He may be dangerous, but I still believe that he has a heart. He won't just turn on us for no reason."

"Let's wake them up then," the guy said. "And we better hurry. I don't think I did the best job at taking Marcus out."

"He said to hit him as hard as you could. It isn't your fault that some other guard managed to run and escape. Besides, Jason and Piper can handle themselves. Leo's got the escape route covered for them anyway, right?"

"But the plan was to kill or capture Octavian. If we escape without doing that, what was the point of the mission?"

Percy cracked open an eye. Standing above him and Reyna were Hazel and Frank.

Looking beside him, he saw Reyna sleeping soundly on the floor next to him. She was on her side, her face pressed against his cloak, and her hand loose and limp on the ground next to it.

He yawned and stretched.

Frank and Hazel both jumped back, as if they just saw a demon.

As he sat up, Frank and Hazel both clutched their chests and calmed their breathing. Hazel sent him a harsh look, "What was that for, Percy? Scaring us like that!"

He shrugged, trying to suppress a grin.

Reyna groaned. "Percy? Hazel? Frank? What's going on?"

Percy turned to face her. She was on the ground rubbing her eyes, like a little kid sleepily waking up. He offered her a hand to help her up. She took it and yanked down as hard as she could. Percy was almost unprepared for it, so he stumbled forward, but he managed to catch his balance before he crushed Reyna's face under his knees.

Percy quickly backed up from the compromising position of his legs and her head, but tried to keep a cool face, and resumed to help pull her up. He felt fortunate Reyna seemed to look like all she'd noticed was a large person about to fall on top of her head. But then again, he never really seemed to understand what she was thinking with the mask she always put on.

Reyna began untying the cloak, but he stopped her. She gave him a confused look, and he awkwardly glanced down. She glanced down once and seemed to realize that she didn't have much clothing on underneath and nodded. It was okay, since he had a shirt and pants to go along with his sword and poisons.

When they got to Marcus' body, Reyna stared at him for a little while. Then she turned to Frank and said, "Good job. Now let's go!" And she began running.

He flushed at the praise, but nodded with gratitude and pride.

"Where are we going to go?" Hazel asked as they ran. "I was talking with Frank earlier, and both of us were unsure of what to do. Our plan was to go after Octavian, right? But the plan was to have Jason and Piper come get you guys. When we saw Jason and Piper in the front yard without you two, we got worried and came to get you guys."

"Where are Jason and Piper?" Reyna asked.

"We don't know," Frank replied grimly. "I just hope they're not deviating from the plan. Last we checked Leo's made precise calculations for the escape route once Octavian is gone."

"You guys should leave," Percy said. "If you guys escape, you won't have to get tangled in this mess. This is my job. Leave it to me."

"No, you're not doing this alone," Reyna argued. "It doesn't matter if it was your job. I won't have Octavian running around doing what he pleases. Either he stops or he dies. That is my policy. I'm sure Jason would agree with me."

"If something happens to you, Jason would never forgive me," Percy growled. "I'm practically a stranger so it's okay if you—"

"You helped me when I was hurt," Reyna snapped. "Don't refuse help when you're hurt."

He cursed. Originally, he wanted to face Octavian alone so he could kill him and make a hasty escape. But if he lugged these three with him, it would only make their presence more pronounced. Octavian would surely surround them with guards. Jason and Piper and Leo wouldn't be able to do anything. He looked at Reyna, who for the first time, showed a fiery passion in her eyes. Reyna was serious about it.

"If Octavian is so willing as to physically abuse a praetor," Reyna said mercilessly, "his punishment is death."

A twisted grin broke out on Percy's face. "Using the law to protect your actions, huh? That's totally something I would expect from you."

"Still don't know where to go!" Hazel cried over her shoulder as they ran.

"Living room!" Percy blurted. He figured it would be the most cluttered of open spaces—by that meaning there were many obstacles to jump and twist around but open enough so that he could effectively use the swinging motion of his blade.

Frank and Hazel led the way. Somehow, they knew the layout of the mansion and led them up the stairs. They burst into the hallway and turned left. Percy heard shouting behind him and he put on an extra burst of speed. Reyna, Frank and Hazel were fast, much faster than some of the assassins he'd worked with. Though no one was as fast as Liz.

Reyna suddenly fell. Percy stopped and noticed an archer behind them. A split second later, he had an arrow through his chest, and his body collapsed to the ground, motionless. Percy watched as Frank slung his bow over his shoulder and urged them to keep running, Hazel just one step ahead of him. Percy grunted and picked Reyna up in his arms. She was wincing from the pain and was allowing more weight to sink on his arms, but he kept running as fast as he could.

Percy made it to the living room in time and dumped Reyna on the sofa. He turned just in time to see three Roman soldiers appear. The first one got through Frank's guard and stabbed him through the chest. It was so sudden Percy didn't even see the other two soldiers as they came at Hazel.

Before he could unsheathe his sword, there were two dead bodies lying before him. And they weren't enemies.

He grabbed Anaklusmos and prepared to charge the soldiers when the voice of a whiny bastard rang out from behind him: "I wouldn't move forward, unless you want Ms. Ramirez-Arellano here to be killed like her friends. Oh, and also Mr. Grace, Mr. Valdez, and Ms. McLean."

Percy turned and saw that he was surrounded. _When did they get here?_ he thought in alarm.

But the worst part was that Jason and Leo both looked broken. While still conscious, they pleaded him for help. Piper was unconscious, and it was clear someone had done something inappropriate to her. Fury burned in his mind as he tried to think as Jason would. It was clear Jason and Piper liked each other, wasn't it?

Octavian stepped forward and put Percy's discarded _pugio_ to Reyna's neck. With a devilish smile, he pressed the blade closer to her neck.

"Now, Percy Jackson?" His soldiers closed in. "What will you do?"

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><p><strong>Hey, another chapter! I can't believe I'm managing to keep up a weekly update schedule! Man, even with the lack of love on this story, I still love writing it. Some parts may be nonsensical, but remember that's because I'm dealing with lots of exams. Personally, I still like the flow.<strong>

**Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review.**

**SharkAttack719**


	12. Betrayed

******Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.******

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><p><strong>12 – XII<strong>

Percy stared at Reyna.

She wasn't looking back at him. Instead, her gaze was focused on the person holding the knife to her neck. But the trio of Leo, Piper and Jason were all staring at him through their swollen eyes. It seemed like Leo had been beat the worst. Maybe it was because he put up the best fight. Glancing out the window, he noticed that it was pitch blank outside.

It was only a hypothesis, but Percy figured Piper and Jason had been allowed to rest at Octavian's place. And judging from their defeat, Piper had been the one on guard duty at the time.

"You little…" Reyna cursed in an unfamiliar language.

"How did you capture them?" Percy demanded.

"Who uses magic on a dark, cold day?" Octavian snorted, gesturing toward Leo.

"Hijo de puta!" Leo cursed in a familiar southern language.

Octavian laughed and turned to face Percy. But he seemed to be looking straight past him. "You may begin."

Percy wanted to turn around, but he was afraid that if he turned around, Octavian was slit Reyna's throat. He glared at Octavian, hearing grotesque sounds behind him. After a minute, Percy couldn't take it anymore. He spun around with his sword, wanting to see what was going on behind him. When he saw what the guards were doing, he nearly collapsed in shock.

"Stop!" he muttered.

They were doing something similar to what Deu5 M0rti5 had done to Liz.

"Stop!" he said in a more assertive voice.

But they didn't listen to him. They kept sawing the bones off. A guy tossed Hazel's head to one of the guards standing by. The guy took it and began playing with her dead face, making her smile and even opening up her eyes. Another guard, a girl this time, took Frank's head and scooped out his eyeballs. But she kept his nerves and muscles attached so that they dangled loosely from his detached head.

"Stop!" He was almost screaming now. Fear and horror was evident in his voice. "Stop!"

They didn't listen. They were cruel. They were horrible beings. They didn't deserve to live.

Octavian coughed intensely behind him, drawing his attention. He drew blood from Reyna's neck.

"Why?" Percy growled. "Why dismember their bodies?"

"Why?" Octavian laughed. "To make sure nobody can find evidence of their bodies. They will never be found. All those who are present will either be under my control, or they will be dismembered to the point where they can no longer be identified no matter the circumstances."

"You sick bastard," he snarled.

Octavian's mocking smile was replaced with a scowl. "You would take the same precautions, Jackson. You have no right to call me a sick bastard. How many of your fellow criminals did you let die or kill during the journey here? Don't be a hypocrite."

"Killing and desecrating bodies are on completely different levels!"

"But they're both still immoral, am I right?"

"Just make them stop!"

"Are you bothered by blood? You don't seem to be bothered by it when you kill them. How heartless of you, Percy Jackson. I find you very intriguing. I've never met any criminal who will kill without mercy yet vouch to stop the dissection of two bodies of worthless fools."

Percy stared at Octavian. "You think I'm a criminal?"

Octavian raised his eyebrows. "You're not?"

Percy tried to use the situation to his advantage. "What if I'm not one? Does that change your opinion of me?"

The Pontifex Maximus pondered it for a moment. "I'm sure it wouldn't. Either way, you seem like a very effective killer to me. Well-trained. But seemingly in touch with human emotion. Will refrain from beating up a savage praetor. Cares about people he has only known for less than a week. Very, very intriguing, Percy Jackson."

"You call her savage, but you commit worse crimes than she has," Percy pointed out. "I mean, look at what you're doing now. I have no tie to Rome. I would be willing to tear down every part of the government to stop a threat to Olympia. I would be willing to kill you and all those you willingly follow you. And I will show no mercy."

"You sound like you think you could single-handedly kill every government official in Rome? Can you even beat a single Roman soldier? Olympians are known for their sneakiness and deceit, not their prowess in battle. That is why we so easily took over your lands in the past."

"But you couldn't stop a simple rebellion?" Percy asked, referring to Olympia's fight for freedom after a few hundred years of Western (Roman) occupation.

Octavian sighed. "Alas, even battle prowess cannot win when overwhelmed by immense numbers. If the ratio had been even one Roman for every two Greek scum, we would have won."

Percy's eyes flickered to Jason. He was moving his hand in what seemed like slow motion. He was reaching for a dagger that was within his grasp. Percy looked away and swung his sword in a non-threatening fashion to help keep the attention away from Jason. Many of the guards tightened their grips on their weapons as he swung his sword around. Even Octavian looked threatened and pressed the knife even harder to Reyna's throat.

Despite what Octavian had said about him, he was cautiously analyzing his every movement to determine his skill level with a sword. Octavian hadn't seen how he took down the Olympians that worshipped him. He'd only heard about it. He truly didn't know what his level of swordplay was.

Percy realized he could use the unknown to his advantage.

"So you truly believe in Roman prowess in battle?" he challenged Octavian.

"Yes, of course," the Pontifex Maximus answered without hesitation.

"Hm, and your war god, Mars… since you're in contact with the gods, you could ask him for a blessing right now, am I correct?"

"Who told you that I was—?" He stopped himself. "Of course, you must have heard it around town. Yes, I am in contact with the gods. But it is not as easy as simply asking for a blessing in battle. But I'm perfectly capable on my own! I have to prove my worth to Mars Ultor before I can receive a blessing."

"Very well, then." Percy had baited him into the perfect trap. "Let's duel, Octavian, and you can prove to the war god that you are worthy of his blessing."

Octavian paled.

Percy dropped Anaklusmos and stepped away from the sword. "But to make it fair, I'll let you fight with a sword. I'll fight with my fists. Oh, and no shields."

"F-fine!" Octavian sputtered. "I'll duel you!"

"Octavian!" one of his officers called. "But Mars Ultor won't—"

"This is not a battle of honour," Percy said, a little aggravated that someone had butted in. "This is a fight to the death. There is no honour in dying."

"Ha!" the officer laughed. "Of course a _graecus_ would think so. No honour in dying. Pathetic Greeks thinking they know everything. I'm going to have fun with former-praetor Reyna tonight. Just keep that in mind." He winked suggestively at Reyna as he snatched her from Octavian's grasp. He locked her arms in a strong arm lock.

Octavian picked up his sword and leveled it at Percy. "Pick up your sword, Greek."

"Are you asking for a death wish?" Percy asked incredulously.

"For my condition," Octavian continued as if he hadn't heard him, "if I win, I will get to kill all of you. You will not be allowed to escape. That is my condition for the match. Nothing more, nothing less. I retain my honour, and you suffer the consequences." His voice was wavering.

Percy sighed and picked his sword back up. "Okay, you're asking for it. My condition is that everyone in this room who is not one of those four—" He gestured to Jason, Piper, Leo and Reyna. "—with myself included, must swear to the River Styx that they will not attack us as we escape. If that rule is broken… I can only imagine what might happen."

"An oath on the River Styx?" Octavian snorted. "That magic has long been forgotten. There is no possible way—"

"It's the only magic I know, that _every_ half-blood in Olympia knows," Percy said with a smirking, grinning at Leo for reminding him about magic. With a dramatic voice, he called, "_Órkos Styx_!"

There was a ripple of black around the room and the sound of thunder in the distance.

All the Romans looked at each other. Nobody seemed to want to swear to the River Styx. But they knew that the next oath to the Styx they ever made, even if not at that moment, would activate the poison of the curse inside of them, and if they broke that promise, the poison would make its way to their hearts and kill them.

What was the risk?

Percy was never sure how only the half-bloods learned it, but apparently, mortals didn't have the magical energy given to half-bloods and their immediate descendants by being recently descended from the gods or magicians or whatever. As far as Percy knew, Timothy's lineage went the farthest—Tim apparently could learn very basic magic as he was great-grandson of Apollo.

But learning magic was something that wasn't taught directly during the camps. It was sort of a side thing. Since there are a lot of half-bloods, many teachers, who are also half-bloods, help kids with learning magic. Percy hadn't really been into magic that much, so he tended to stray away from it and focus more on his fighting abilities. But he _had_ heard that children of certain gods had certain powers depending on their parent's area of power.

Though he'd been too lazy to look for a spell before, he figured it might be useful for sticky situations.

"Swear on the Styx," Percy commanded.

Slowly, the Roman soldiers assented, and with each promise, thunder grumbled in the sky.

Jason was wriggling the knife out of the guard's sheath.

Percy waved his sword again, threatening Octavian. The Pontifex Maximus raised his sword with a tense arm. As Percy'd thought, he was no fighter. He was too rigid and too stiff. But judging from his stance, he _had_ been trained in combat.

Percy switched to his left hand. Doubt flashed in Octavian's eyes. Percy knew some of the Romans knew he was right-handed, but no one seemed to say anything. They focused on the impending battle between two very mismatched opponents.

Octavian struck first. It was a weak blow.

Percy caught the blade with his own and twisted downward, forcing both their swords away from their bodies. Stepping in quickly, he struck up with an open palm straight up into Octavian's jaw. The twenty-four-year-old's head jerked back and Percy took his time and caught his breath. Octavian was gritting his teeth hard, as if the one strike had done enough damage to cause him a lot of pain.

Percy felt his heart sink. He knew Octavian wouldn't have a high pain tolerance in the first place, but he was hoping that he could play with him for a little while before he killed him.

The one good strike Octavian made missed, and Percy countered with a slash to Octavian's sword arm. The blade clattered to the ground. Octavian cried out as he grabbed the wound with his other hand.

There was a soldier getting anxious. Percy realized that he wanted to run in and help Octavian but was afraid what the consequences might be. He'd already sworn to the River Styx.

For the time being, Percy kept beating on Octavian with his left hand.

Not a minute later, Octavian collapsed to his knees, shouting, "I surrender! I surrender! Please stop!"

The guard that was holding Reyna tightened his grip and ground his teeth. "I'll kill her if you give up, Pontifex Maximus. Killing these corrupt praetors is worth dying for. Do not give up! _You_ want to be the one to kill Reyna, right? I can give you the chance! Just beat this worthless Greek scum."

Percy responded by kicking Octavian straight across the face. The Roman was coughing up blood now.

"Beat this worthless Greek scum!" the guard shouted.

Octavian looked up at Percy and knew that he would die either way. This Greek from Olympia would show him no mercy. And it was then that he realized this was no criminal. Just as the boy had suggested, he was not a criminal. No criminal would be willing to get so involved in foreign affairs. Dropping his head to the ground, he cursed Luke Castellan for the betrayal. He cursed Olympia for their territorial might. And he cursed the gods for giving him such a horrible fate.

The guard noticed his superior giving up, and in a rage, tried to slit Reyna's throat. But in a miraculous light, he was frozen.

Everyone watched in amazement as a golden light began emitting from his chest. He was clutching the light, as if surprised at its sudden appearance. But his face showed that he was suffocating. He wasn't breathing. Then steam began rising from his eyes, and he tried to scream in pain. Soon, an acid burned through his eyes, showing the bloody nerve endings and nearly hollow sockets where his eyes had once been. His hands began swelling, and he stumbled back. They exploded, shattering into tiny pieces of bone and flesh. Blood splattered on the ground beneath him and stained the carpet.

He was clawing at his eyes and ears with the bloody stumps that remained.

They watched in horror as the body disintegrated into nothing, leaving behind only the pugio and what seemed like dozens of litres of blood.

Percy glanced at Hazel's and Frank's bodies. They hadn't disintegrated. The bloody mess still remained.

"It's over now," Jason yelled as he broke free from his guard's grasp and stabbed him through the neck with the knife he'd slipped into his grasp. Turning quickly, he slammed the butt of the knife into the throat of Piper's guard, crushing his windpipe. Lunging, he stabbed Leo's guard and grabbed a sword, standing in front of his friends protectively.

None of the other Romans could do anything. They had been bound to the promise by the Styx, and after what they had seen, they had no desire to break their oaths.

Percy stared at the pool of blood on the carpet. The guard seemed to be really desperate to do something like try to break an oath on the River Styx. But for some reason, he couldn't move a muscle. He felt like throwing up. Even after seeing dead bodies for so long, Percy thought he would get used to it. But he felt like throwing up.

A few of the Roman soldiers_ did_ throw up. And so did Reyna and Piper.

Octavian lay on the ground in front of him, his head tilted so he could see the whole infraction. The horrible thing was that it all happened within ten seconds.

"It's over now," Percy repeated. "Goodbye, Octavian."

"Goodbye." Octavian's voice was soft and relaxed.

And Percy stabbed him through the heart.

* * *

><p>He ran. He ran as fast as he could.<p>

The truce was over. He was free to leave. But apparently, Jason wanted to interrogate him some more. As praetor, he tried arresting Percy for murder, even if it was to a guy who had opposed the government.

But Jason was a child of Jupiter, Zeus in Olympia, and he knew his magic. He had control over air currents.

Percy felt a strong gust shove him forward. He stumbled, and it gave Jason enough time to pounce on him. The strike was meant to knock him unconscious, but Percy grabbed his pugio at the last moment and held it up to block. The blade shattered as Jason's gladius tore right through the celestial bronze. Percy dropped the handle and kept running.

"Get back here, Jackson!" Jason yelled.

Percy ran into a clearing. He could see the sun high up in the sky. He paused for a moment, trying to tell the time of day, but it gave Jason enough time to catch up.

In an instant, Percy found himself locked in a duel with Jason Grace, the supposed best sword fighter in San Francisco.

Percy played defence at first. Jason's strikes were to test his defence and see where his weak spots were. Percy tried not to give him too much info. He let a lot of strikes through his defence, but not the ones that endangered a vital part of his body. Jason was far more efficient in combat than Octavian, and Percy found himself on the losing end. It was a first… no one he'd fought one-on-one before had managed to take the advantage.

Jason stabbed through Percy's defence and narrowly missed the left side of his chest, a strike that would have been fatal had he not jumped out of the way. The way Jason was fighting was very mechanical and predictable. Percy couldn't deny that his techniques and power were very good, but his speed was lacking for an expert swordsman. Each of his movements was too rigid… too much like that of an average soldier's.

The son of Jupiter mostly stabbed. His combat technique was Roman in itself, but it seemed as though there was a part of him that liked to fight erratically.

Percy swung his blade to parry the first swiping strike Jason made. Percy grimaced when it sent a shock up his arm, but Jason seemed to feel those effects as well. They leaped away from each other and took a quick break.

Percy was panting heavily, his chest heaving with each breath he took. He knew that if he took to the offensive, he would be able to find Jason's weak points in defence, but Jason's strong attacks were almost too much for him to worry about. It took all of his power to defend against them, and by the time he tried to go for a counter, another powerful strike was coming. And Jason's didn't seem like the one to stop a strike even with a wound.

But Percy had one trick up his sleeve that he hoped Jason hadn't noticed. The entire time, he'd been using his right hand, his dominant hand. His left hand was almost equally as effective, and if the right opening appeared, he could switch hands and strike. Jason couldn't know the potential of his left hand just by watching his fight with Octavian, where he barely tried.

Another strike came, and Percy was forced to defend.

He analyzed Jason's movements for an opening. There didn't seem to be many.

But as Jason tried for another sweeping stroke, Percy found the opening he needed.

Jason's sweep strokes were pathetic compared to anyone who'd used a sabre sword or leaf-shaped sword. Percy intercepted the sword and performed a twisting move in which he forced Jason to drop his sword. Then he began to strike when there was a sudden presence behind him.

He whirled around as Piper burst in and shouted, "Stop!"

Percy caught her arm in midair and flipped her, snapping her arm in the process. She wailed in pain, but the distraction had been enough. He saw Jason's fist at the very last moment as it came to his temple, and the darkness absorbed him.

* * *

><p><strong>I know this might seem anti-climactic, but trust me, I'm doing it on purpose. There is a deeper meaning behind how people die in this story. Death in this story itself is a symbol. I'm sure it's easy to spot.<strong>

**Read and review,**

**SharkAttack**


	13. Gladiator

********Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.********

* * *

><p><strong>13 – XIII<strong>

When Percy woke up, he found himself tied to a chair.

As he groggily came to, he realized that the chair was cemented to the ground. In order to move the chair, he had to break it. But the bonds tied around him were so constricting he found it hard to breathe.

He swore.

Jason really took his precautions. _Screw that ass-hat_, Percy growled. _Even after everything that happened, Jason was willing to arrest him._

Percy was wearing different clothes now. Someone had undressed him and put new clothes on. They'd also taken his sword away. If they did anything to it…

He was in a nice, cozy room. There was a fire burning three feet away from him, and a tray of hot food lay on a small table in front of him. The only problem was that without his hands, he couldn't eat it. It was the least of his worries, though. The thing that caught his attention was the frantic argument going on just outside the door. It sounded like Jason and Reyna were bickering.

"This is unforgivable!" Reyna was shouting.

"Be happy I'm even giving him food," Jason snarled. "You think you can trust some stranger? And a criminal nonetheless!"

"He's not a criminal? Are you blind?"

Jason sounded really impatient. "Listen, he's a dangerous person. If he gets back to Olympia with news as to what happened here, Olympia could invade, and you know that we're not ready for an invasion. If he's _not_ a criminal, like you say, it would be even more catastrophic. The proper army of Olympia is a force to be reckoned with. It is not something we can take likely."

"You're just doing this because you feel threatened by him," Reyna snapped back. "All your life you've been praised as the only son of Jupiter. You've always had attention, and now that another powerful half-blood shows up, you want him dead? That makes you no better than Octavian."

"You just don't understand."

"No, _you're_ the one that doesn't understand!" Reyna was screaming at the top of her lungs. "You meet two _Greeks_, become their friends, and even started dating Piper. I didn't want to accept it. You were becoming too un-Roman, but I see that you don't even know what Roman is anymore, Grace. Just because your sister was taken away from you when you were young because she was Greek, doesn't mean you have to bag on this son of Poseidon."

"Children of Neptune are dangerous," Jason growled. "Remember the earthquake?"

"We weren't alive! Don't use that as an excuse for being threatened. If you were to see your sister and she was—"

"Stop mentioning my sister!" Jason roared.

"How is Percy the enemy?!"

"You heard what Octavian said. If he's truly killed that many people, he's no better than Octavian."

Reyna fell silent.

"That's my point exactly. We can't rule out the possibility that he is a criminal. If he is not, he must be a mercenary. Why else would he come here following Octavian? He must have been hired to spy on us."

Jason opened the door, and light filled the room.

Percy watched as Jason gestured for Reyna to enter the room. But she didn't. She looked away and said, "He's an assassin. He was a part of the Special Operations Force detachment that we learned about, Jason. And if him killing as part of his job is something you consider wrong…" She turned to face him, tears threatening to spill in her eyes. But the look was nothing less than cruel. "Then you're saying I'm worse than him."

Without another word, she left.

Jason grimaced but didn't follow her. He turned a baleful eye to Percy.

"You're threatened by me," Percy said simply as Jason stared at him. "That's all there is to it. And, you know, I've realized something. Is your sister's name Thalia Grace?"

Jason's eyes went wide.

"Thought so." Percy'd made the connection as soon as Reyna mentioned Jason's sister. "Man, it would suck if she got word that I never made it back to Olympia. We're friends, you know. I mean, I could introduce you guys again. But I guess you want to be a retarded turkey, eh?"

Jason gritted his teeth. "You're too dangerous to live."

"All the pressure's on you because you're the son of Jupiter, right?" Percy laughed. It hurt his chest for some reason. "Getting shown up by a _Greek_ who happens to be the son of a god you seem to fear. Man, you Romans are pathetic. No wonder we were able to beat you so easily. If you decide to kill anyone you found threatening, you must've killed _a lot_ of Romans back in the day. I could tell, at that battle, there were at least half a dozen wanting to intervene. But they couldn't because of their oath. Yet for some reason, you still killed three of them even though you knew they couldn't fight back."

Jason punched him across the face. "You're going to die fighting, like the criminal you are."

"Why so desperate to name me a criminal?" Percy spat. "Jealous?"

Jason scowled. Percy truly didn't know his reasons and the motivation behind his actions. Jason seemed far more complex than he originally thought, and the fact that his sister was Thalia Grace just amplified that mystery. Thalia seemed nothing like Jason. She was far less stupid.

"What a recurring theme," Percy muttered. "Retarded Romans."

"You get to eat one meal." Jason gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. "Then you'll be escorted to the arena and become a gladiator. To fight for entertainment until you die. I don't expect you to last very long. If you can't match me, you won't be able to fight against some of the toughest opponents the gladiator school can offer."

"Can't match you? Bro, you only won because Piper intervened. You seriously can't tell me you think you won that battle because you knocked me out. Wow, talk about pathetic. You know, I _will_ survive the arena. I'll escape one day. And to make your wish come true, I _will_ invade Rome because of your inflexibility and selfishness, praetor Grace. You're nothing like your sister. She's smarter, funnier, is more accepting, and has a better personality."

Piper suddenly entered the room. "Jason! Leo wants to talk to you."

"Sure." Jason turned and faced the doorway. "Listen, Jackson. I'm leaving Piper here with you, but the door will be open. A dozen guards will rush in and kill you if you even threaten my girlfriend. Have a horrible day."

And the Roman son of Jupiter left.

"I don't get it," Percy muttered, as Piper cut his bonds. "He was fine with me being here until yesterday's event. It was yesterday, right?"

Piper nodded. "Well, to be honest, I have a feeling he still likes Reyna. He's always trying to impress her. He always pushes her to make new rules and tells her he knows what he's doing. Jason likes control. It comes with being a son of Jupiter, I guess. But often, it kind of depresses me when I think about it. Jason was jealous that you managed to click with Reyna right away. I can tell you and Reyna have a close friendship. And Jason… Jason resents you for seemingly outshining him. He doesn't really want you to die. He just… he's jealous."

Piper looked like she was about to break down in tears. He realized that she actually really loved Jason and was depressed that it appeared he wanted to be closer to Reyna. Percy put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it, Piper. Maybe he's an asshole to me, but I'm sure if he gets past the dozens of faults he has, he's a good person. Maybe."

"I don't even know why I told you that," she sighed.

Percy shrugged. "Just make sure you calm him down. The kid seriously needs to stop being so uptight. Is he always like this?"

She shook her head. "No. It started when you arrived."

He rolled his eyes. "Why doesn't he just let me go if he's so threatened?"

"Years of Romans jeering about a Greek invasion. With your presence here, it seems to justify it. Reyna's always had a shell over her, so she dismisses stuff like that until they're proven. But Jason is easily swayed. Maybe it's because people always expect him to be so perfect that he doesn't know what to do."

"Well, he's ridiculous. Now I'm thinking I shouldn't have helped you guys. I thought Jason was an okay guy until this happened. Maybe Octavian was right about him…"

"Jason isn't bad," Piper claimed. "He's just… unstable."

"More like insane," he snorted.

"You have to believe me," she insisted. "He's good once you get to know him."

"Give me one good reason why he's a good person." Percy had no idea why but the longer he thought about Jason, the angrier he got, and the only person to vent on was Piper. "You're just biased because you're in love with him. Pull your head out of your ass and actually _look_ at what Jason's like. Then you'll see that he isn't such a perfect, dreamy guy."

Piper frowned. "That's rude."

"Him wanting to kill me for no reason is rude."

"Why do you have to talk back all the time?" Piper snapped. "You're snarky, unpredictable and you only care about yourself. All you do is tear people down. You don't even try to think of good ways to improve conditions around you. It's all about the destruction of people's beliefs and people's emotions and people themselves. Maybe that's why you went on this mission! Because whoever's paying you thinks you're expendable and worthless! No wonder the Fates gave you this path. One where no one cares about you… where you have no friends."

Percy growled. "You have _no_ idea what I've been through. All _you_ did was flee the country when things got tough. I bet you run away from all your problems. Don't come to me whining about your love problems with Jason. Wallow in your own pity and see where that gets you."

Piper was crying. "You're a cold, heartless bastard. You're just a murderer! You're a _monster_!"

Percy froze. He'd heard that term before. Too many times.

He stopped and stared at Piper, who was glaring daggers at him. He accepted it and averted his eyes. After all these years, and despite the things others had said to him, he knew he was a monster. He was trained to be a killer. And it had only gotten worse after Liz's death.

He'd drowned himself in killing—in being an assassin.

Yet, he somehow enjoyed life.

How could he enjoy something that he was taking away from others? That seemed so twisted and messed up.

"You're right," he said, his voice suddenly dry. "I _am_ a monster. But everyone is bad in their own way. It just so happened that I've been turned into a bad person because of what happened to me. Because my mother and step-father were killed. Because my closest friends were killed. Because of the things I've seen—the dead bodies, the wounds, the tortures. You're right. I am a monster. Because even though there are many things I regret and many things I feel guilt for, I don't stop, even if the target is just a minor criminal. Be happy, McLean, that I will be gone sooner or later. Because if you have someone like me around—someone who wants friends and companionship—you're probably going to die."

Leaving his food untouched, Percy walked out of the room and straight into the line of guards that had been waiting for him. One of the guards was Marcus. Marcus was holding Anaklusmos in its rightful scabbard. He ordered the other guards to tie him up.

As the guards urged him forward, he glanced back one more time and saw the tearful face of Piper staring at him as he was led to the gladiator arena to prepare for his first fight—a fight that would, undoubtedly, end in death.

* * *

><p>The crowd was buzzing. Even though he stood behind the gates, he could hear the roaring and cheering of the crowd.<p>

He heard comments about him, saying that he was going to lose. Apparently, his opponent was supposed to be a really strong legend in the Roman arena. Like him, he was a prisoner, but from what he'd heard, the man enjoyed his time killing other prisoners.

Percy was dressed in his usual assassin attire. He tossed away the shield they had given to him and refused to wear the helmet. However, he did take some mail armour that covered the greater part of his chest. He left his legs, pelvis and arms unprotected.

The guards shoved him forward into the arena and shut the metal gate behind him, keeping him inside the arena. It was a huge place, and it seemed to sit several thousand spectators. Some of the seats were empty, but it seemed like there was a good turnout for today's event.

The roar of the crowd echoed in his ears as he waited for his opponent to arrive. Pacing around slowly, he analyzed the battlefield. It was eerily similar to the arena back at the fourth-year camp back near the Capital. The ground was bare and unkempt—rocks and holes were scattered everywhere along the floor of the arena. But other than that, there were no obstacles or barriers.

Then the gate across from him opened, and a middle-aged man walked out, a confident smile on his face. If the intel he received in the past couple of minutes was correct, the man's name was Lucius. Just from his body language and facial expression, Percy could tell that the man was brutal. He had a feeling that this would be one of the tougher matches he'd face.

The gate slammed shut, and Lucius sneered at him.

An announcer's voice echoed throughout the arena. "Here are our fighters. On the south side, we have the Greek, Percy Jackson!"

A rain of boos came showered down from the audience.

"And on the north side, the big, bad Lucius Tranquillus!"

The crowd roared in approval.

Percy began pacing around, trying to figure out his opponent's weakness. The bigger man most likely had an offensive strategy to try and surprise his opponent before they had a chance to fight back. He would use his size to his strength and use a longer sword to throw his opponents off. It seemed as though most of the gladiators fought with pila or gladii, so his long sword was very uncommon. But the sword was still a straight sword. As he'd picked up when fighting Jason, these Westerners liked stabbing rather than slashing. That's why his leaf-shaped sword would have been unorthodox here.

A loud voice shouted from the stands: "Fight!"

Unfortunately for Percy, Lucius was holding a shield, which made his job a little bit harder. Lucius charged forward, holding his sword steadily in front of him. When Lucius got within range, he lowered his shield and thrust forward with a deadly strike.

But the strike was too slow to hit Percy.

Percy knew it was coming and twisted to the side. The sword missed. The fact that there was so much force behind the blow that it made Lucius stagger forward from the momentum of his missed blow. Percy saw a huge opening, but decided not to strike. Instinctively, Lucius had raised his shield to block the impending blow, but it never came.

Lucius whirled around and swiped at Percy's hands to cut one off. Percy parried with his bronze sword and their weapons clashed with one another. Sparks actually flew as Lucius' sword was deflected upwards, over Percy's head.

Instinctively, Percy jabbed forward, but Lucius, knowing many different fighting tactics, twisted his body. A part of the sword grazed this side of his abdomen, but he wasn't harmed in any serious way. Percy pulled back as soon as he missed, not giving Lucius a chance to grab his wrist to wrestle the sword out of his hands. Being much larger and much bigger, Percy knew he would be successful.

However, one thing that Percy found useful was that if he had the shorter weapon, he had to get in closer to stop his opponent from taking huge, powerful swings. It also prevented them from getting their sword at a good length to stab him through the stomach. It had proven effective for whenever he fought during training.

Reaching forward, Percy landed a good and deep cut along Lucius' thick thigh. The man roared in agony but continued to press forward. He slammed his long sword against Percy's sword, pounding it as much as he could. As hard as he slammed at Anaklusmos, it was _his_ sword was beginning to wear down.

Relentlessly battered back, Percy bent low to get in his defensive stance. He threw the occasional jab with his sword, but allowed Lucius to pound his way forward.

Soon, Percy felt the wall behind him, and he knew there was nowhere further to retreat to. But it was all a part of his plan. Lucius made one final thrust with his sword.

Simultaneously, Percy lashed out with his own sword. Not thinking about defence, Lucius made a fatal mistake, one that would lead to the end of his life.

Percy's sword tore right through the wrist of Lucius' shield hand, as Lucius' sword slammed into the wall right where Percy's had been just a moment before. The impact sent a harsh jolt up Lucius' sword arm. Percy twisted his sword before he tore it out and cut at the larger man's knees. Just as Percy cut one of Lucius' legs, he simultaneously used his strong leg and smashed Lucius backward, sending him rolling into the dirt.

Lucius grabbed his knee in agony but still held his sword tightly. The crowd was in general shock, but the ones that weren't were screaming for blood. They wanted him to kill Lucius right now. Percy caught the gaze of Jason and Reyna, who were sitting high up above everyone else. Reyna nodded at him, giving him permission to kill. Jason was scowling, and Percy could see the fear in the praetor's eyes.

Percy pointed at him and then drew his thumb across his neck. Then he turned to Lucius.

"You'll be free," Percy told him. "Death is far better than life as a gladiator. I hope you enjoy your time."

He leaped forward at the gladiator, who was stunned from the two blows, and kicked up straight below the jaw. Lucius flailed backward before Percy came up to him, kicked the mail armor off, and stabbed him through the stomach up into the heart.

Percy watched as life escaped the man's lips with the softest touch, like a puff of air, and how his eyes dulled and dilated, his eyelids drooping just at the slightest.

The crowd let out a roar of approval and dismay, cheering Percy's name in either anger or glee. He closed Lucius' eyes as servants rushed into the arena to grab the man's body. Wearily, the servants dragged the body of Lucius out of the arena, his blood trailing on the ground. The crowd cheered again as Lucius' dead body was dragged away through the gates.

Percy sheathed his sword over his shoulder and turned away from the praetors.

The guards opened the gate for him as he strode back inside angrily. They asked for his sword politely, which he gave them. At least these guards were nice enough to not arrest him because they felt threatened by him.

Without a word, he proceeded back to his cell.

When inside, he slipped the two black vials out of the pouch. He never got to use them against Octavian, which he found a pity. But if Jason dared to do anything else… He glanced at his guard, and the blonde-haired, grey-eyed man named Malcolm Zenith, slyly winked back.

"I'm getting out of here, Jason. And you're going to pay."

* * *

><p><strong>Malcolm doesn't play much of a role here, but due to time skips and stuff, there will be a development of friendship you won't see between Malcolm and Percy that will become a larger factor later on, as you would know if you've read "Crimson Memories." Anyway, thanks for reading.<strong>

**Read and review!**

**SharkAttack719**


	14. Release

**********Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan.**********

* * *

><p><strong>14 – XIV<strong>

Annabeth examined the ruins.

"How?" she muttered to herself.

A whole mile stretch of the western border had been destroyed, and five thousand of the Border Guard had been left at the mass killing. There were hundreds maybe even thousands of dead criminals amongst the bodies as well. It was an absurd site, but immediately, Annabeth knew the cause for it.

"It was that foreigner," she told Thalia.

"Duh, who else could it be?" her friend remarked. "The question is where did he get so many soldiers from."

It was Annabeth's turn to point the obvious out: "In Aeleos. Where else? That's where Luke wanted to send Percy and where Luke said the guy would be staying for a week. I know we took our time getting back, but something like this shouldn't have happened. I thought Percy was supposed to look after this!"

She quickly took out parchment paper and scribbled a quick summary of her findings. She summoned her eagle and sent the letter off to Luke.

Thalia was picking at the armour of some dead soldier. "I don't know about that. Percy's job was to see if he would be a threat to Olympia, but the guy still left and hasn't done anything. We already checked Aeleos, and Katie said that he left with the guy. She's an honest girl. I don't think she'd lie about anything like that."

"Still, he could have prevented this," Annabeth growled.

Thalia cocked her head in interest. "What's that vendetta against him anyway? I get you're pissed about his attitude. I am too. But there's no reason to be that angry at him. Just let it go. If he doesn't want to be affiliated with us, let him go on his own."

Annabeth shook her head. "It's not about him. It's about the job."

Thalia sighed. "For all you know, he could be doing his job. You can't judge something when you don't even know what's happening. The only evidence you have to go against him is this massacre. And that isn't enough. So just tone it down and finish with the investigation."

The daughter of Athena scowled. She wouldn't admit it to Thalia, but she still felt guilty for blaming Percy for the entire issue. But she still believed that he was irresponsible and reckless. And maybe… just maybe she was afraid he was in grave danger.

Shaking her head, she tried to shrug off her feelings. Her priority was cleaning up after this mess.

"Thalia!" Katie Gardner called out from behind them. "Annabeth!"

"Katie, what's wrong?" Thalia asked immediately.

The daughter of Demeter had a worried look on her face. Annabeth prepared for the worst. She said, "I just heard news from Auroris and Aeleos. Apparently, there are rebel groups forming up in the cities, and they're planning to overthrow the local governments and secede from Olympia. They think that the treatment they're getting from the government is unfavorable."

"What?" Annabeth was surprised. "How is it unfavorable? We've been monitoring them this entire time. There's nothing wrong with Luke's been doing."

Katie grimaced. "Well, actually, there have been a lot of incidents. For some reason, the Olympic Guard have been recently allowed to travel to other states and exert discipline. There is also resentment from a lot of people because they don't want a half-blood running the nation. You guys haven't noticed much because Zoë's been sending you on the offensive. I think that's why so many criminals went with Octavian."

"Is there any news about Deu5 M0rti5?" Thalia asked suddenly.

Katie nodded. "They've gained a lot of influence, and nobody's really doing anything about it. Other than the Enforcers and us, Luke hasn't been paying much attention to them. Rumors are that they're supplying weapons to the citizens of State 5 to prepare for rebellion."

Annabeth gritted her teeth. "Rebellion? What's going on nowadays? I knew things were in pretty bad shape going into the autumn season, but ever since the SOF was destroyed, everything's gone downhill. First someone from the Far West comes and destroys part of the Border Guard, and now there's talk of rebellion?"

"But there _have_ been reports of some pretty bad behaviour. Some of the Hunters in my squad ended up in a fight with some Olympic Guard guys under a guy named Ethan Nakamura. Two of his ended up dead, and four of my friends were killed. I wasn't exactly present because I was sending a message to Zoë, but apparently some guys under the Ethan guy were beating up little kids. Their parents came in, and Ethan's squad killed them."

Thalia was confused. "But why? Why are they killing innocent bystanders?"

"All of Ethan's squad members are half-bloods," Katie said. "That's what all the reports said. The victims were all mortal."

"I know the half-blood and mortal relationship hasn't been good," Thalia remarked, "but it can't be that bad as to having half-bloods _kill_ mortals. It's not like we want to sink to the mortals' level."

"But that was Luke's mother we're talking about," Annabeth warned.

Thalia gave her a sharp look. "Just because she's related to someone we know, doesn't make her any less of a terrible person. Luke may defend her, but she was just a crazy bitch who slaughtered thousands of half-bloods for seemingly no reason. I may have been forced out of Los Angeles, my home, but I can only imagine what half-bloods like Percy, who had family he loved, must be feeling after such a tragedy."

"And the ideas of revolution are spreading fast," Katie said grimly. "It's not something that'll be gradual. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a rebellion. Remember, it wasn't long ago that mortals were killing half-bloods. Who isn't to say half-bloods aren't using the authority as an excuse to kill mortals?"

"Then we have to get Luke to fix the problem," Annabeth concluded. "I'm sure he'll understand the issue."

"The only problem is whether he can actually recall all the troops and punish them. It's hard to manage a nation of over two hundred million people. Especially when unfavorable leaders pop up in far-to-reach places like Auroris."

Overhead, a golden eagle soared down from the sky. Annabeth smiled as her eagle landed gently on her shoulder and dropped the incoming letter into her palm.

"That was quick," Thalia noted.

The letter read:

_Hey Annabeth,_

_ I hope you and Thalia are doing all right. Times are getting tough back here in the Capital. There are a lot of angry counties and cities throughout the nation. Aftereffects of my mother's actions still linger. She caused a lot of damage to supporters of half-bloods, and it seems as though they want compensation. Furthermore, anti-demigods are telling me to step down as president before they come and kill me. I want you and Thals to be careful out there. It's getting dangerous. I know I sent Percy on the most dangerous mission of them all, but I trust that you can handle killing some revolutionary leaders in his place. The following are a list of revolutionary leaders in State 5 I want dead:_

_ William Solace, aged 21  
>Rachel Elizabeth Dare, aged 19<br>Connor Stoll, aged 19  
>Travis Stoll, aged 22<br>Bianca di Angelo, aged 18_

_I know they are all young, but this world is a world of young leaders. Oh, and don't worry about the mess at the border. Let the others take care of them. I want you to focus on these assassinations._

_ With many thanks,  
>Luke Castellan, President of Olympia<em>

After she finished reading the paper, she handed it to Thalia to read.

Thalia frowned after she finished reading. "Are they all revolutionary leaders? It doesn't sound like we know any of the leaders at the moment. Katie, have you heard any names?"

She nodded and grabbed the sheet of paper. "None of these are the names I've heard as _leaders_, but they're definitely names I've heard before. Will Solace is a son of Apollo who defended a defenceless family of five mortals against a group of Olympic Guards. Some Border Guards who've been inducted into the Olympic Guard have also been attacking mortals, and the Stoll brothers… well, they've been doing what they always have."

Now that she thought about it, Annabeth recognized those two names. Connor and Travis Stoll were two sons of Hermes three years apart in age, but looked so similar they almost looked like identical twins. She remembered the two pranksters and the sneaky stuff they did to Katie and her garden friends. From what Annabeth remembered, Katie hated the Stoll brothers. But those two didn't seem like the kind of people to become revolutionary leaders.

"They killed Olympic Guards accosting an elderly man," Katie continued. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare's a professional painter, but I don't know anything more than that. Maybe she's promoting rebellion through artwork. But she's mortal. The last name I have no clue about. I've never heard of Bianca di Angelo. Not even Bianca or di Angelo. That's a mystery to me."

"We're off our game," Thalia muttered as she soaked in the information. "Usually, Annabeth and I would be right on this case. But the only ones I recognize are the Stolls, and even then I didn't know Connor or Travis for very long. State 2 kids."

"We have to monitor them first," Katie suggested. "See what their tendencies are and exploit them."

"And it's also a good idea to find out whether they're actually guilty or not," Annabeth added. "Even if Luke says they're revolutionaries, I want evidence."

"But what do we do if we don't kill them for Luke?" Thalia asked. "He'll probably get mad, won't he?"

Annabeth gave the parchment Katie held a sour look. "Don't worry about that. Athena always has a plan."

* * *

><p>Percy hated being mistreated.<p>

He'd managed to stay alive as a gladiator for almost two years now. His mind wandered back home to Olympia. He wondered what was happening there now. A long time had passed, and many things could have happened over there… things he wouldn't have particularly been fond of. But maybe nothing had really changed.

He thought about the night before he left Olympia. He still remembered it vividly, as if it had been the day before. He remembered the kid, his young parents, and Katie showing him her archery skills.

It was his twenty-first birthday today, and so far it had been a rough one.

First, the guards had beaten him up for snapping back at them. Second, Malcolm's setback had been a significant one, and if he wanted to get out of here soon, he had to improvise because Malcolm said he couldn't solve the problem within the next year. Third, he had four matches later on. Percy was sick and tired of killing prisoners, even if most of them were dirty scumbags. He wanted to get out of this horrible prison and get back home.

Maybe he could just retire and settle down with a family. Get a nice, pretty wife and a couple children. He could just live a normal life and forget about his past.

But it seemed like forgetting about his past was easier said than done. The haunting questions of his past still lingered in the back of his mind. Like why the SOF was attacked like it was. Who was behind it? Where was Gabe Ugliano? Why had he left him alive? Why couldn't he have just killed him back then? Why did Liz have to die the way she did? Why did Annabeth remind him so much of Liz even though they had different personalities?

It wasn't fair that he had to endure all this pain. It wasn't fair that he had to kill to live. It wasn't fair to himself, and it wasn't fair to those he killed.

Why did Jason have to turn against him? What grudge did the Roman hold against him?

When it was his time to fight, he robotically retrieved his weapons and armour. The routine was all too familiar to him. And when he saw the weak opponent he was given, he cursed the praetor for forcing him to kill a poor, helpless kid.

The fight was quick. Percy didn't want to watch the kid suffer. He wanted him to die as quickly as possible. He couldn't bear watching the kid fail to strike him over and over again. As soon as the match started, the kid lunged with his gladius. Percy deflected the blade, twisted his own and jabbed right through the boy's neck. Percy closed his eyes as he twisted the blade further to make sure the boy was dead. Then he withdrew his sword and sheathed it before heading back to his prison cell.

The other three matches went almost exactly the same way. He dispatched his opponents with his first attacking move. And they were all strikes to the neck.

Over the past couple of years, he'd been named the best gladiator in the last ten years. That meant whenever he fought, people bet on him to win. And he knew he wasn't going to lose. If it was a fight to the death, he wouldn't lose when his desire to return home was as great as it was right now.

It was that night when the unexpected happened.

Jason appeared at the cell door and unlocked it. He let the door swing open. Percy turned to look at him, wondering where the praetor was going to take him now. Reyna, Piper and Leo were standing behind him.

"You're free," Jason said stoically.

Percy wasn't sure if he heard him right. "What?"

The praetor stepped into the room and grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the cell entrance. "I said you're free."

The son of Poseidon soon up and glared at the praetor.

But he didn't attack. Instead, he glanced back at Piper and Leo and Reyna. Holding back his emotion, he turned and walked out of the cell. He looked at the three and gestured toward the exit, asking them to lead him out. He felt the cold point of Jason's sword against the back of his neck.

"Leo," Jason called. "Could you please fetch Percy's weapons? And Piper could you get his clothes? Thank you very much. I'll meet you guys out at the foot of Mount Diablo. Reyna, you're sticking with me."

The operation was quick. He was escorted out of the prison, through the streets of San Francisco, and led to a tall mountain far to the east of the city. It was a good distance away, and Percy was forced to walk the entire way. Whilst Reyna and Jason rode their horses, he had to use his legs to get to the destination.

Once they were there, Jason hopped off his horse and held Percy at sword point until Leo and Piper arrived.

After looking at Jason, Percy realized that this guy had more in common with Luke than he'd realized beforehand. Their appearances and their gazes were eerily similar. But Luke was more sly and devious. Jason was just paranoid.

Jason forced Percy to change right on the spot. Both Piper and Reyna averted their eyes, but Jason didn't want him to be out of their eyesight.

It was dark and nighttime, and the only light came from Jason's gold sword, which helped.

Still, Percy kind of felt embarrassed. But as soon as he settled back into his normal clothing, he sighed in relief. He had always felt more comfortable in his own clothing, even if it made him look like a crook or a bandit. That fact also helped him with infiltration missions when he was a part of the SOF.

"Now, Percy Jackson," Jason said as he finished changing. "You're going to swear on your life that you will never return to Rome in your life. You will leave now and never come back. If you do, I will not hesitate to kill you. And there is no escape for a Greek in Rome."

Percy glared at the praetor. "Why? What is the point of this? A sudden betrayal to arrest me, and a sudden release. I just don't get you, Jason Grace."

Jason chuckled. In an amused tone, he said, "You _really_ don't know politics, do you? You might be an assassin, but you sure are thick-headed when it comes to matters like this."

Percy growled like an animal ready to tear its prey to shreds.

"I don't know if you're just stupid or dense, but it was clear Octavian had many supporters. The reason why he went to Olympia was to get enough soldiers to fight on the front lines. It was a strategy to preserve Roman blood, and spill Greek blood. And also, it was because he could have won, if it hadn't been for many of the spies Reyna and I installed in his organization. And when someone who has a popular belief is killed, people become outraged. Someone has to be blamed. A Greek is good enough for the people of Rome. And it's true. You _were_ the one to kill Octavian."

"You little—"

"Listen, I'm sorry." Jason turned to face the city. "I _had_ to do this. Rome is a place of justice, not mercy. If there is an opportunity to punish someone, I will do it. Our reputation as praetors is already bad. If people find out we won't hold someone responsible, there'll be an uprising. I was only trying to prevent that."

"And by acting _that_ cruelly to me?!" Percy was enraged. "You could have at least told me, you bastard."

"Leave and never come back," Jason said coldly. "That is the best way to preserve your life. After all, if you come back to slaughter me, who knows what creep will take power and trying to attack Olympia. As long as I'm one of the praetors, you don't need to worry about a threat to Olympia. San Francisco may not be the most populous Roman city, but it is the most influential."

Percy wanted to shank the douche. "Fine," he spat. "I'll never come back. But I swear, if you ever try to find me and kill me, I will stop at _nothing_ to end your life. It doesn't matter who gets in my way. You've pissed me off to no extent, Jason Grace. Go die in a hole."

Jason's shoulders slumped. "Very well. I shall take my leave. Don't take too long, Reyna."

He hopped onto his horse and slowly began making his way back to the city. Piper took one last look at Percy before shaking her head in what seemed like disgust or disappointment. She followed Jason on her own horse, holding his dirty prison clothes.

Leo was much nicer than those two. He looked down at the ground and said, "I hope this is enough to repay for everything we have done for you. It probably isn't going to be, but I hope it is. And as much as I agree with Jason's view on keeping dangerous guys like you out of here, I'm sorry about everything that's happened." He put down the sack he was holding over his shoulder. Spreading it out on the ground, Percy recognized the familiar bronze glow of Anaklusmos inside. "I did a little bit of work tweaking your weapons and adding some stuff to your arsenal."

Leo lit his hand on fire with a quiet mutter of a spell to illuminate the new weapons.

Alongside his leaf-shaped sword were two different knives. One was a pugio, but the other one was an unknown dagger. It was longer than the pugio, and its material looked heavier. With the new dagger were a dozen metal sticks. Well, at least they looked like metal sticks. There didn't seem to be a handle on the weapon, but they were pointed on both ends. Percy picked one up and weighed it with his hand.

Leo was grinning. "Remember how Frank was oriental? Sorry, bad example, but anyway, Olympia's not the only place with immigration. Along with Olympia, oriental people came to Rome too and brought these bad boys with them. They're sleek and discreet versions of throwing knives and tomahawks… well, in general. There are flashier ones, but I think you'd like this kind better. They call it a bo-shuriken. I was debating about whether I should have given you kunai, but I decided two-pointed bo-shuriken would be best. I don't think you'd want to be lugging around a tomahawk or throwing knives when you already have two daggers and a sword. I even made a pouch for you to draw them out of. They're easy to make. Just ask a blacksmith to make a copy of the ones I've given you. Simple as that.

"As for that single-edged dagger… it's called a seax. It's longer and heavier than a pugio and is designed for hacking and slashing instead of stabbing, like the pugio is. I guess the seax could be used as a stabbing weapon as well, but it's effective just in case you lose your sword. It's like a mini-sword expect like a third of the length of your sword."

"A foot long knife is huge," Percy said in awe.

Leo laughed. "Oh, and also, trying to poison Jason isn't cool man." He held up two vials of cyanide and hemlock. "I managed to create unbreakable vials using the shavings of your bronze sword and some imperial gold."

"Shavings of my sword?"

"Haven't you noticed that it's sharpened, especially along the most effective slashing areas? I even sharpened the point."

"Leo," Reyna warned. "It's time to go."

The cheery son of Hephaestus turned to face his praetor. "But I'm just—Fine! Take care of the weapons, Percy. Think about this when you remember your visit. I helped you, so please don't kill me."

The son of Hephaestus swiveled his head to face him. "After all, how am I going to find Calypso if I'm dead?"

With a quick nod, Leo jogged back to his horse, hopped on and rode away to follow the retreating figures of Jason and Piper.

"I know what you must be thinking," Reyna said apologetically, "but do not take it to heart. As much as I despised Jason's actions, he was acting as a true Roman would have. Even though I screamed at him for being too un-Roman, I know that he was just trying to preserve his pride and his honour. Despite what we say about Romans being just, it is often a leader's job to do whatever it takes to keep his or her power. That is what many Roman leaders have done in the past. And I assume that is what many Roman leaders will do in the future."

"I don't think I like Rome then," Percy said with a frown. "As you've probably realized, I'm not the kind of guy to live by strict rules."

She sighed. "It's hard being a leader. It seems as though, no matter what you do, power will corrupt. There will always be anger. There will always be resentment, no matter how much good you do. Romans have always lived by strict rules, and for many centuries, it has worked. We maintain stable society by living under the gods' watch. But it almost feels as though Octavian's followers are still trying to tear power from our grasp."

"Kind of sounds like the opposite of what happens in Olympia," Percy laughed. "Learning about our history, Olympia has always valued freedom and liberty. We let people enjoy their lives. Yet criminals are still at large, even if the majority of the population are innocent bystanders. There is a system to oppress violence with more violence. Weapons are common, and kids are taught violent tendencies from a very young age. And instead of the people trying to tear power from the government's grasp, all I've ever known is the government tearing power from the people. Maybe our current president can turn that around, but I don't have high hopes. In fact, it seems like he's not doing anything to strip away power from anyone. Before I came here, there were a lot of crimes. Luke didn't seem to care that a whole branch of over a hundred fifty elite thinkers, fighters and tricksters working for the government suddenly imploded."

"This Luke… he sounds like a bad influence."

"I'm sure he is," he said darkly.

They stood there for another couple minutes in silence.

"Well, I guess this is farewell," Percy said solemnly.

"It seems that way." She extended her hand. "Good luck on your future journeys, Percy Jackson. And make sure you stay away from here. I don't want Jason flipping out again."

Percy smiled genuinely for the first time in almost two years. "I already made my promise to Jason. I won't forget it."

"Goodbye, Percy."

He nodded and turned to face east. He remembered the treacherous mountain journey on the way here. If he had to deal with a pack of hungry wolves, he wasn't sure how he was going to hold up. Glancing down, he saw the seax's shadow melting into the night. He picked up the weapon and swung it once. It felt just like a small sword.

He gathered the weapons and stowed them away. He couldn't help but smile when he picked up the custom belt that Leo had made for him. He slipped his back scabbard on and sheathed Anaklusmos. He stowed the two knives on his right side so he could cross over and draw them in a forward grip rather than the quick draw into a reverse grip from his opposite side. The bo-shuriken's were stored on his non-dominant side, and though Percy didn't know the proper way to use them yet, he figured he would mostly be drawing from across his body and throwing like a cross-body slash.

Once he was done fixing up his weapons, he turned back to face San Francisco. As bad his stay was, he would miss this city once he was gone.

"I assume you're not done yet, though," Reyna added before he could leave. "Malcolm Zenith said he would stay after I told him what Jason would do. Do you have a trick up your sleeve, Jackson?"

He kept a neutral face. "I promised myself. I would make Jason pay. He did what he did because he was scared about his pride and honour. Not because he thought it would help my cause to protect Olympia. If all you're concerned about his your image, you're not fit to be a leader."

"I don't think you're right, Percy," Reyna said in disagreement. "You don't understand how powerful the voice of the people can be. Was it not a rebellion by the people of Olympian lands back two hundred thirty or so years ago that bore the nation you come from today? Trust me, if there was a rebellion in Olympia, the government would have a tough time putting them down."

Percy's remembered the effectiveness of the purge led by May Castellan thirteen years ago. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"Whatever the case may be, this will not be our last meeting," Reyna told him. "If you sent Malcolm on a mission, Jason will not forgive you. I'm sure Malcolm will escape, but Jason will not be as lenient as to letting you get away with what you have tried to do. He will find your president, Luke, and try to plot your death. And it seems to me that you no longer belong to the government in Olympia. They no longer care about your life."

"Fair enough," Percy said. "I guess this is goodbye." He looked at the praetor one last time. "I hope I won't have to kill you, Reyna."

"I hope so, too."

They met as strangers. And they parted as strangers. There wasn't one word of compassion or sadness between them. They parted knowing that eventually one of them would die at the other's hands. It was inevitable. But as Percy changed his mind set back to Olympia, a sudden passion filled him.

He took his first steps forward. _Gabe Ugliano… here I come._

* * *

><p><strong>I know what you must be thinking: THAT'S IT?!<strong>

**But there's more! Don't worry! Reyna and Jason and Leo and Piper re-appear later on in the story. Although, personally I can tell you that with Jason and Percy's little dispute, I don't think it'll end well...**

**Anyway, apparently some of my stories are nominated for First FanFictions Awards. My Everlasting Hero series has been nominated... Can you all do me a favor and research a bit about that. Just quick thing, no more than 5 mins. I want to see if that thing is legit or not. If you can, that would be much appreciated. And vote for them! Vote!**

**Thanks, R&R,**

**SharkAttack719**


	15. The Lily

**********Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan. This is FanFiction, so I guess that goes without saying...**********

* * *

><p><strong>15 – XV<strong>

He crawled along the field of fire.

His head spun. He was nauseous. He was hungry. He was thirsty. He was bleeding. If he lost too much blood, he knew he would die. But he was so close. If only the guards could see him… He tried crying out, but no voice would come out. His voice box wasn't complying with him. His dehydration was killing him. He had gone three days without a drop of water. His pursuers wouldn't let him stop for a drink.

Percy knew that his lack of sleep was contributing to the factor. He felt dry. For a son of Poseidon, he felt that it was cruel. He was the son of the mage of water… the god of the sea. Was this how he was going to die? He couldn't even tell if his salivary glands were producing saliva anymore. And the worst feeling of all… he hadn't urinated in two whole days.

He was clutching the horrible wound at his gut. It was a non-lethal hit when there was aid nearby. But Percy had no proper tools to hold it. He'd been bleeding for hours, and somehow he hadn't passed out yet. The bleeding was slow, and it didn't seem so bad at first, but with dirty, bacteria-infected clothes, the wound had been left open and clearly made things worse than it should have been.

"Help!" he finally managed to croak.

As if in a dream, a conch shell suddenly blasted, and ropes came swinging down from the wall. Percy saw dark shadows slide down the western wall of Olympia, and there was immediate shouting. Words were incomprehensible to him now. It was just a loud buzz next to his ears. Slowly, he felt himself dying.

Then at the last moment, something was poured down his throat. He felt the taste of water, and suddenly his senses awakened.

The Border Guard holding his head up as he drank was shouting something at him in a panic. But he didn't understand.

Percy's vision was blurry, but the guard held something up. It looked like a cube of pudding. Ambrosia. Percy tried to reach out for it, but his arm was too weak. He laid back, ready to accept death. After weeks of being hunted for stealing, he was ready to give up. Mercenaries were common in the Neutral Zone. He should have expected that. But to chase him this far was crazy. He didn't want to die. He wanted to live. He was afraid.

It was a revelation for him. He was a person who killed for a living. He was a person who was in constant danger. But he was afraid of death.

It was the first time he'd been fought with such a dirty strategy: not allowing him to eat or drink, sending mercenary after mercenary to fight him, keeping him awake at almost all times a day. But it worked, and Percy felt more vulnerable than he had ever been before. He almost longed for the life of a gladiator again. At least there he knew he would not lose. At least there he knew he would get food and water and shelter.

The guard shoved the ambrosia down his throat. A warm feeling spread through Percy just as his eyes closed, and he treaded into darkness.

* * *

><p>He was thrust into a dream as soon as he lost consciousness.<p>

Percy found himself in the front yard of his house. The garden was full of flowers—the same flowers his mother had always kept. The day was warm and it felt like late summer. In curiosity, he stepped closer to the front door of the house. Each step he took was slow. His limbs felt numb, and it almost seemed like time had slowed down.

He began to hear voices. There was a scream from inside the house. A weird ringing noise echoed in the background. It was irritating to his ears.

He urged his body to rush into the house, but his movements were still slow.

Suddenly, there was a huge weight hanging from his back. It was his sword. He grabbed Anaklusmos and unsheathed it. He slammed the door open, and an ear-piercing scream came from deeper inside the house. Percy ran down the hall, but the deeper he got, the more the hallway seemed to elongate. His destination got further and further away from him. The air chilled, and the atmosphere darkened.

The open door behind him slammed and echoed as if he was in a theater. He turned to face the door but only saw a wall. Turning back to his original destination, the screaming continued.

He found himself running again. This time, the room didn't change shape.

He reached the kitchen and turned the corner. He saw four demons in armour and two dismembered bodies on the ground.

The biggest demon turned to face him, his skin as black as oil. He didn't look like a stereotypical demon, but his eyes were crueller. They weren't red and devilish. They were black and heartless. His teeth were like knives—jagged and crooked. The demons radiated fear and death, and Percy found himself sweating.

As many terrible humans he'd faced, there were no such things as monsters or demons for him to fight. This was a supernatural experience. And he was afraid.

The bodies on the ground were clearly his mother's and Paul's, but he couldn't muster the courage to kill the demons.

"Coward," the lead demon hissed. "Is this truly the heir to the blade of Rhode?"

Anaklusmos was glowing.

"Better be rid of him," the demon to his left said. "Kill him before he can rise!"

"To please the lord!" a third demon muttered.

The last one cackled inhumanely. "The boy shall help! The boy shall help!"

Percy raised his sword to protect himself just as the four lunged at him. He thought he was done for, but then a speedy sword burst into the scene, knocking all the demons out of the way. She blew the hair out of her face.

"Liz?"

The brunette turned to him and said, through her grimy and sweaty face, "Percy… I know this is horrible timing… and this is probably the worst way to say this…" She stepped closer to him and kissed him, something that never really happened. "But I love you."

Shoving Percy back, she lunged at the four. Suddenly, two dozen more demons materialized and began attacking her. She fought valiantly, and just like back then, Percy was frozen. All he could do was watch. Liz took down the original four with speed and ease, but then one of the new twenty-four shot a gun, and Liz reeled back.

Two tried to attack her, but she dodged, and their momentum ended up turning against them. They killed each other. But Liz was too preoccupied to grin about her sneaky move.

Her sword was like a viper. His strikes were wild, fast and powerful, but her strikes were precise, accurate and deadly. They didn't lack speed, and at times, it was almost as if you couldn't see the sword. Five more fell to her blade. But she was sustaining worse wounds each time. She took a second bullet to the shoulder. Her speed didn't falter. With an eardrum-shattering scream, she dropped a smoke bomb—a device given to her by a daughter of Hecate who worked in the SOF. The gas fogged up Percy's view, and for a second he thought she was going to survive this time. She could run away.

When her figure appeared out of the smoke, Percy's heart leaped with joy. He extended his hand. She desperately raced to grab it.

But a single shot fired from a gun caught her right in her spine. A look of surprise passed over her face, and she fell face first to the ground.

"NO!" Percy screamed. It was just like last time. This was exactly how she died, except she had been at least twenty feet away in real life.

Under a hood, one of the demons leaped at Liz and stabbed her right through her chest. But he didn't stop. He and the other seven who'd survived began dismembering her body. They did exactly what the demons had done to his parents' bodies. Percy didn't want to keep seeing this.

The exit was right behind him. He was so close to escaping.

One of the eight saw him and pulled his weapon out. But unlike last time, when he had played it smart and fled the scene, anger consumed him and he charged at the group of eight. The bullet fired. It struck Percy in the chest and he stopped mid-stride. He looked down at the hole in his chest. Blood spilled out of the wound like trickling water from a leaking fountain. His body felt numb, and he fell to his knees.

"You are not worthy!" The demon that had shot him was now Jason Grace. "Die, Greek scum."

The scene changed. He was suddenly in an arena. The remaining seven demons had disappeared along with the remains of Liz's body. Blood still gushed from his wound, but the numbness crept away. He could feel his limbs again. He stood up and began walking forward toward Jason.

Anger filled his soul, and he raised his sword to strike.

He slashed down, and Jason shrunk. At first, he thought he caught the son of Jupiter with a fatal strike, but then he realized he was reliving another one of his past experiences. He looked up at the praetors' seats and saw Jason glaring down at him from a position where he was invulnerable. Looking back at who he'd attacked, he nearly dropped in shock.

It was about seven months into his stay in San Francisco. There had been a girl who murdered her father. Patricide was a crime punishable by death. That's why they had made him fight her. She was no younger than sixteen, but she was scared. Her movements were not that of a fighter's. She had no chance of winning.

Her frame was small. She looked malnourished. Her brown hair had been cut short, and there were scars on her face from getting beat up by other girls in the prison. Her eyes were a timid blue, and tears streaked down her face. She didn't want to die. But she knew what she had done, and even though she regretted it, that fact wouldn't save her now.

Percy couldn't bring himself to kill her. No matter how much he wanted to end her misery, he couldn't just kill this girl like this. They should have made a woman fight her. How could they expect him to kill her in cold-blood like this?

But his body no longer moved to his own accord. He felt himself moving just as he did back then. Slowly, he lost control of his body and could only receive senses. His brain seemed to numb as his body moved to its own accord.

"Please!" the girl begged. "Kill me now!"

Percy saw a perfect opportunity to kill her, but he hesitated. Now that he was watching what he was doing rather than doing it himself, he cursed himself. He was causing her pain. He was making her suffer. All because he was too scared to kill someone who looked so helpless. He'd never faced a female opponent head-on like this. He'd backstabbed and tricked many. But none were like this girl.

_Pretend this is a job_, a part of his mind had said. He wanted to shout that out again. _Pretend this is a job!_

After what seemed like eternity, his past-self finished her off. He slit her wrists as she attacked, and as she cried out in pain and dropped her sword, he closed his eyes and struck the final blow across her throat. He heard her gargle for a bit as she dropped to the ground.

Percy felt himself crying. He was crying because of what he'd seen. He was crying because he'd just taken the life of a helpless, weak girl. He tried to remind himself that she killed her father. But that fact didn't seem important.

It just didn't seem fair that it had to be him who took her life. Why? He had no idea.

When she died, he closed her eyes and mourned over her dead body. It had earned him a lot of scorn and jeers from the crowd, but it was worth it.

The sounds of the crowd seemed to die down. He blinked, and the whole arena had dissipated. Steam rolled off the dead girl's skin, and slowly she seemed to evaporate into the air.

Again, the scene changed.

But this time, he was no longer in a body. He felt like a free spirit, which a scene from overhead, and for some reason, he got the feeling he was seeing something he shouldn't have been able to see.

Annabeth and Thalia were running down a familiar street. Flames were eating everything around them, and the bodies of dead people were scattered everywhere. The fumes from the smoke were thick, and both Hunters were coughing and gasping for air. It seemed like a whole city was on fire. There was screaming from all directions.

"Stop!" Annabeth was screaming.

Percy noticed that armed soldiers in uniforms that looked like a hybrid between the Olympic Guard and the Border Guard were attacking civilians.

"Stop!" Annabeth screamed again.

She came up to one of the leaders of the squad and began screaming in his face. "What do you think you're doing? Are you crazy?"

"Luke's growing uneasy," the soldier replied. "If these people are going to revolt against the government by publicly executing the head of the Enforcement Corps and the Vice-President while they were on a peaceful visit, they deserve to die. These no good scumbags." The soldier had his foot on a young boy's blood-soaked face.

Percy's blood turned to ice, even in his dream. Head… of… the… Enforcement… Corps…? Henry… Johnston…?

"Henry Johnston and Chris Rodriguez were good men," the soldier declared.

Annabeth was redder than the flames. "That doesn't mean you can go and burn down an entire city! You don't even have Luke's permission."

"But he didn't say we couldn't do it," the soldier snapped. "He just told me to deal with this problem."

"Like you did in that village back two years ago, Ethan?" Thalia growled. "This is immoral… what you're doing."

"No." The man named Ethan gave them a cold stare. "This isn't immoral. This is justice. This is revenge." And with that, he led his squad away from the frustrated Hunters.

A golden eagle soared down from the sky into the blazing city where hundreds were being slaughtered… where a whole city was burning. It landed on Annabeth's hand and dropped a letter. She quickly untied the string and read the letter. Thalia squinted at the paper alongside her, and both of their expressions turned alarmed.

"No… no way…" Thalia's voice was shaky. "I thought… I thought he was dead."

Annabeth looked at the wreckage around her. "We have to stop him before he gets here! If he does, I don't want to imagine what he'll do to Ethan."

With a nod, the daughter of Zeus said, "Come on! Let's go!" And she ran off down the street.

Annabeth looked back at the sheet of paper, and almost inaudible amongst the roaring fires, she muttered, "I'm glad you're okay." She tossed the parchment into the fire and took off after Thalia.

His spirit seemed to be locked in place, and as the flames engulfed him, the nightmares faded and he shot awake.

* * *

><p>"Wait!" was Percy's first word as he woke.<p>

"Oh, gods!" Katie rubbed her face with her hands. "You scared me there for a second. You were sweating like crazy and mumbling stuff in your sleep. I was going to wake you and then you just shot up in bed. What happened to you?"

Percy wasn't fully awake yet. His head was still messed up from his nightmares, and his heart was thudding loudly in his chest. "Katie? What are you…?"

"You were found dying, crawling toward the wall," the Hunter said. "You have no right to ask me what I'm doing here after that drama show last night."

"That was last night?" Soreness and fatigue crept up his bones. He lay back down. "What time is it?"

"Dusk the day after. You've been asleep most of this time. Thank the gods for that. If you hadn't been a half-blood, you would've been a goner. What happened?"

He told her his story of being pursued throughout the Neutral Zone and how he was cut off from food and water but forced to eat up energy by keeping him awake at all times. He was never safe and could never find shelter.

"That's horrible," Katie said.

He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

His dream about the city on fire came to his mind.

"Hey, Katie… what's happened in Olympia since I've been gone?"

Katie looked away. "A lot. That's certain."

"Are you surprised to see me?"

She nodded honestly. "We thought you were dead. Nobody expected you to take this long. Even Luke was surprised, and he didn't really seem guilty that you were gone. He expected you to be done within a month at most. By the way, how _did_ the mission go?"

Percy remembered Jason, and his tone turned sour. "I succeeded. But at a pricey cost. Asshole Romans."

He recounted the whole story. It took him about an hour to tell her everything he remembered. For some reason, he remembered many of the faces of the men and women he killed. But for some reason, it felt good to tell someone about what happened. It felt as though a load had been taken off his chest.

But Katie's mood was too grim for him to feel much better. She was constantly looking away, as if guilty about something. An awkward mood filled the room as the silence settled in. Percy stared at the ceiling and tried to collect his thoughts. They were jumbled and messed up from everything that had happened in the past couple of years.

After a couple minutes, Katie finally said, "I have to tell you something, Percy."

He gave her a curious look. "What is it?"

"Can you walk? I need to show you something."

Percy frowned. "Um, I don't know if I should walk. If my condition is as bad as you said it is, then I should probably stay and rest."

She shook her head. "No. You were definitely dying yesterday. But through Apollo's healers, you've had a miraculous recovery. You should feel fatigued and tired, but I'm sure the whole wound isn't as bad as yesterday. Or even this morning."

He stood up and tried walking around the room. It didn't hurt. Sure, it was tiring, but it didn't cause him any discomfort.

"Sure. I'm ready. What do you want to show me?"

Katie looked really depressed. "We used embalming chemicals on her to preserve her body. Annabeth suggested it, considering the victim. She had originally intended for you to examine the body yourself and apologize for what she did. But you didn't come back. So far, the body has been doing well. Two years without decomposing is incredible, even with the embalming fluids."

"What are you talking about? Now that I think about it, where am I? This doesn't look like the border to me."

"You're in Aeleos," Katie said. "This is the Hunters' State 5 headquarters. I—I'm leading you to a special room. Of course, I can only grant you access this one time, but I think it's worth it. Annabeth and Thalia should be here soon. They're travelling by Blackjack and Porkpie, two of the fastest horses in Olympia."

"You jacked my horse?!" Percy exclaimed indignantly.

"He's easy to bait," Katie said with a half-hearted smirk. "Give him apples and some article of clothing with your scent, and he'll claim loyalty. Oh, and he has to consider you good-hearted. Ethan Nakamura found that out the hard way."

Percy suddenly remembered the cold, vengeful soldier from his dream. "Ethan Nakamura, huh?"

"Oh, you probably don't know him. He's an Olympic Guard who works for Luke. He's one of the generals for the new Olympian army that's formed. Oppression on the people through threat of aggression. Luke's been really paranoid ever since high-ranking officials have been getting killed. Lots of people are fed up with Luke's government because he's done nothing helpful to them and hasn't given reparations for his mother's actions. But he isn't faltering one bit."

"Is that so?"

"A week or so after you left, I met up with Annabeth and Thalia, and Luke ordered us to kill five so-called revolutionaries." She led him into a bright room full of men and women in white lab coats. A group of three were huddled around something in the center of the room, clearly discussing something deeply in thought. "Our first target was Will Solace. We observed him for a little bit, but he wasn't acting suspicious or anything. When one of Ethan's men started up some ruckus, Will stepped in to help the commoner. Turns out he's an Enforcer and is allowed, under law, to prevent public violence. But our next target… she was openly against the government and voiced it, both in her paintings and in speeches."

Katie whistled at the scientists, and they broke apart, bowing to her respectfully. The daughter of Demeter grimly gestured to the body that was being so carefully preserved in the underground of the Hunters' State 5 headquarters.

Percy stepped closer to take a look, and when he saw the body, every one of his muscles froze up.

The girl was lying flat on her back with normal commoner clothing on. She was wearing jeans and an old T-shirt with words so faded it was incomprehensible. Her frizzy red hair was just like usual, and her pale complexion was dotted with freckles. But her bright green eyes were now dull and lifeless, and her skin was too pale in comparison to what he remembered her as. The beautiful young woman that had sprouted from the awkward young girl he'd rejected on his sixteenth birthday was dead.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare." The name sounded foreign on his tongue. "She's… Luke ordered you to kill her?"

"We didn't hesitate. We thought the rebellions were pointless. We wanted to crush the revolutionaries. But after finding out that you knew her… Annabeth was broken. She swore not to attack any of the others on the list. Thalia went on to scout the remaining targets, but I refused to help her. I know the two are sensitive to Luke, so I didn't want to involve them in what I was researching… but I know I can trust you with this information: Luke picked people who he personally wanted dead for a personal vendetta. He's also planning to rouse the anger of the Olympian population, particularly the mortals. He's sending out Ethan Nakamura, a half-blood, to lead an army of half-bloods, to terrorize the people. I don't know what trick he's got up his sleeve, but he wants the mortals to revolt. He's gathering a massive half-blood army with resentment toward mortals to fight for him."

"He's…" Percy went hot with anger. "That son of a—Have you told anyone?"

Katie shook her head. "Not even the people in this room. I've done all the research by myself. I'm planning to reveal what I've found to Zoë tomorrow. Originally, I wanted to look deeper into it, especially because of what's happening right now in State…" She paused for a moment. "…in the east. But with your sudden appearance, my plan's been changed."

"Why don't we go now?" Percy suggested. "The quicker we do things, the better."

She shook her head once again. "No, I need to let you recover. Harry, take Percy back to the infirmary. I've just got to finish up some of the data I've been gathering."

"Of course, Ms. Gardner!" A young scientist with a bright smile ran up to them. "I'd be happy to."

"Good. Try not to think too much about it. I'll be there tomorrow to pick you up. I want your help with telling Zoë."

"Right. Gotcha."

"This way, Mr. Jackson!" Harry said as he walked toward the exit.

Percy had a bad feeling about leaving Katie alone here, but he decided to trust her. He did feel like he needed some rest after the horrible nightmare from last night and the exhaustion from running away for the past many days.

But as soon as the door closed, it marked her fate. It was the last time Percy saw Katie Gardner alive.

* * *

><p><strong>About the title of this chapter, the lily is a flower (daughter of Demeter there) sometimes used in memorial services to represent the innocence returned to the deceased... so yeah...<strong>

**I feel like I'm being cruel with this ending. But with my stories, I guess you gotta get used to it. I don't think you can find any single one of my stories, which was not greatly influenced by the original books, that contains a generally happy but solemn mood. My friends always tell me that I'm goddamn depressing. One of them even told me, when I was mapping out the plan for the story, that she preferred the one where everyone survived. I laughed and told her "Not happening." I think I have a real problem.**

**Yeah. So I hope you enjoy this chapter. Christmas is in a couple days, and I know most of you will be with your families celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah or any other late-December holidays I am unaware of, so I decided to post this chapter now. From me to the sixty-or-so of you:**

**Happy Holidays and have a happy new year,**

**SharkAttack719**


	16. Ruins of New York

**********Disclaimer: I don't own characters created by Rick Riordan. This is FanFiction, so I guess that goes without saying...**********

* * *

><p><strong>16 – XVI<strong>

Annabeth grabbed Percy's arms. "Please, stop! Percy, don't!"

The son of Poseidon stared at the ruins with a blank expression. "Let go of me."

His words weren't harsh. In fact, they were stoic—there was almost no emotion in them. Annabeth didn't want him to endure the pain any longer. She yanked him backward. "We have to go! It isn't safe to stay here. There's nothing left. I already told you!"

"Katie died," Percy said without emotion, as he stepped into the debris. "New York has been burned to the ground."

"Stop narrating what happened!" she cried. He'd said that repeatedly for the past twenty minutes. "I already _know_ what happened! You don't need to remind me."

"Let go of me," he said.

"No!"

"Let go."

"Percy, stop!"

She tried tugging at him again, but Percy suddenly whirled around and punched her hard across the face. The impact hurt so much she lay there in a daze for a good ten seconds before coming to her senses and looking up at the disappearing figure of Percy Jackson. She tasted something warm in her mouth. Blood.

It dripped from her mouth and down her chin.

Shaking off the pain, she crawled forward and got back up on two feet. She stumbled after Percy. He was still walking silently, as if he couldn't believe what had happened to their home.

The city of New York, once the home to over seven million people, had been completely destroyed. There were no living remnants of the city. The army had been thorough, destroying every building as if each brick had importance. They were standing on the ashes that had been the orphanage they once stayed at. The building's supports were in a pile on the ground, and everything they'd once held dear was gone.

Annabeth cried. Tears fell from her eyes as she finally let out the bottled emotions she'd tried to keep hidden this whole time. Some of her favourite years of her life had been spent on the very land she stood right then. And everything had been taken from her.

"I know how you feel, Percy!" she screamed through her tears. "I loved my time here too! You aren't alone!"

"Everything around me is always destroyed." Percy choked up. His voice cracked. "Everything I love… everything I hold dear… they're always destroyed. Why? What did I do to deserve this?"

"Only five hundred thousand of the seven and a half million died." Annabeth tried to look at the positives. "Statistically, that is not a big percentage of the population—"

"Five hundred thousand people died." Percy fell to his knees. "Five hundred _thousand_ people died. That's an insane amount! No amount of innocent civilians should be killed, let alone five hundred _thousand_!"

"Percy—!"

He turned to face her, and her heart broke. The look on his face was past devastation. The look on his face was past hatred and anger and sorrow. He trembled as he spoke. "Why does everything have to go wrong?!"

"Percy—!"

"It makes you think…" He was beginning to bottle up his emotions again. He was starting to contain himself. "…It makes you think how worthless some human lives are. How many people die every day? And for what reason? Many times, it's for no reason at all! And this is coming from a killer. It's almost as if we look at a human and say 'Look, a lab rat!'"

Annabeth stepped closer to him and reached out with her hand. "No. Don't say that."

"We're all useless!" He screamed. "We mean _nothing_ to this world. We are insignificant little specks of dust. We are miniscule in power in comparison to the gods. We're just like pawns on a chess board!"

"Percy!" She grabbed his shoulders. Her vision was streaked and blurred with tears. "Don't say that. Don't say that."

"So why?" Percy cried. And the dam broke loose again. "Why, despite knowing that, do I feel angry or sad whenever someone I know is not guilty dies? Katie's dead because of me. If it wasn't for me, she never would have gotten into the whole investigation business. If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have been charged with treason. If it wasn't for me, Katie would still be playing with those kids in Aeleos, being like a young mother. I took her away from them. It's my fault."

Annabeth could barely contain her own emotions, but she tried her best to comfort Percy. "It's not your fault. You couldn't help it."

Percy put his head on her shoulder and wept. And it wasn't just half-hearted crying. It was tense and heartbroken weeping. It was the thing anyone would expect after witnessing the aftermath of such a horrible tragedy such as this. And she'd been there when it happened. She could have done something to help.

She gritted her teeth as she cried. "It's not your fault!"

"Then who's is it?" he croaked. "Who burned down by hometown? Who burned down _my_ city?"

She couldn't think of anything to say. It was hard. She wanted to be comforted as well, but in this situation, she had to take responsibility. She was the one who had brought him to the ruins. She was the one who had revealed the tragedy to him. All responsibility fell on her.

And so she kept her arms around Percy tight, as if never wanting to let him go. But it seemed backward, with Percy digging his head into her collarbone in sorrow instead. Still, she tried to treasure the moment. She took time to grieve herself.

After what seemed like five minutes, Percy stopped sobbing. She loosened her grip around him and let him look up. He broke apart from her and stared at her straight in the eye. Now the anger and the hate were gleaming in his poisonous green eyes. His eyes begged for an answer. He was relying on her to help him. He was going crazy.

Annabeth didn't have an answer for him. She only had speculation. And besides, it was Thalia that was looking into this mess, not her. The best she could figure, Ethan had taken Luke's orders too far, and instead of suppressing a rebellion, he'd destroyed an entire city. She hoped Luke was reprimanding him. She wanted to help Percy as best as she could, but she was too weak. She had always been too weak.

For most of her life, she had relied on Thalia to fight when they got in trouble while she devised a strategy to help them escape. When she had to fight on her own, she always found herself on the losing end before she tricked her way out of the conflict. Even to someone who finished sixth in her year, she was pathetically vulnerable. Maybe she had always been this way, but she knew she had a tendency to run away from her problems.

She ran away from home when she was little. She ran away from Luke when he seemed to need her and Thalia the most.

Percy did something that surprised her. For an unexplainable reason, he embraced her. She felt his strong arms wrap around her back and hold her close. Her heart sped up, but she didn't feel embarrassed. She was crying some more. She was weak. She leaned against him, sobbing against his shoulder. She had seen the dead bodies. She remembered the gruesome way they had been killed—burned, dismembered, gutted. She couldn't even imagine how much of that Percy had seen in his life.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm sorry for everything I did. I'm sorry for expecting you to be the same. I'm sorry for attacking you and Elizabeth." She tried to pour every last remaining drop of her sorrow and regret into her voice. "I was stupid. I shouldn't have been so rude. And… and about Elizabeth… It's okay to still love her." It hurt her to say this. "Don't feel like moving on is necessarily a good thing."

Percy patted her back. His voice was soft. "Did you guys find out her name by looking at the girl who came first in my year?"

She nodded.

"Elizabeth Edmonds." Percy chuckled. "She was wonderful: great fighter, pretty smart, and a beautiful young lady. A couple nights ago, I had a nightmare about how she died. Yet again… I couldn't do anything."

He recounted the story.

She listened intently, wanting to know more about the girl Percy Jackson fell in love with. He kept telling stories about her. And the longer he spoke, the better Annabeth felt. She didn't feel jealous. She didn't have the right to feel jealous. It was clear the two had a great relationship, although they never dated. But the story of her death was tragic. Taking twenty down with her, she couldn't kill all of them. They finally got to her and destroyed her body and defiled every part of her.

Liz seemed like a wonderful person, and she found herself tearing up again after Percy told the story of her death once again.

"I just don't understand why it has to be me?" Percy sounded like a helpless child. "Why do I have to live when everyone dies? It makes me feel guilty, like I've cheated death. It's not fair."

"Life isn't fair," Annabeth told him. "But life is what you make it. You can't choose the path of the people around you. Maybe you influence them, but it is ultimately their choice. It's the path they chose."

Percy leaned back and looked her in the eye. She found herself leaning closer, but she stopped herself as soon as he spoke: "Don't die on me, Annabeth. Make sure Thalia survives. You guys can't die like everyone else did: Rose, Aaron, Liz, Katie, Colonel Johnston, my mom, Paul."

"I won't." She squeezed his shoulders tightly. "I won't die."

Suddenly, Percy clutched his stomach and screamed out in pain. It last a couple of seconds before his eyes rolled back, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Percy! Percy!"

_Don't die on me_.

She may have been weak. But she knew she had to find something worth fighting for. That was the only way she could learn to be stronger. And she'd found it: the thing she would live for.

She knew she was hopeless. But she couldn't help but care for Percy.

_Why do I have to live when everyone dies?_

"It won't happen this time," she told him. "I promise."

* * *

><p>Thalia approached Zoë.<p>

The older woman turned to face the approaching Hunter and gave her a warm smile, an uncommon occurrence. Zoë looked back to the stack of papers sitting before her on the table. "So, what did you find out, Thalia?"

"Nothing useful," the daughter of Zeus said with a shrug. She tossed Katie's Hunter uniform on an empty space on the table. "No witnesses to anything. It was like the killer fled without a single trace. We even tried to track a scent or footprints, but there was nothing. There was no weapon left behind, and after thorough investigation, Phoebe and I found that there were absolutely no weapons inside that room."

Zoë leaned back and sighed. "I truly hate this job. Watching so many die… I suppose that is what us living must rely on: sacrifice. In order to move forward, humans must die." The Hunter snorted darkly. "I guess I have done my part in helping with that."

Thalia stared at her commander. "Did you hear about—?"

"Johnston and Rodriguez? Of course."

"Then what will we—?"

"Let them figure out their own problems," Zoë said sharply. "The matter of who leads the Enforcement Corps is not my problem. Not until they decide to come knocking on my door for help of some sort. And I've been alive long enough to know that Chris Rodriguez was another man blinded by greed and power, like so many other men out there."

"Except Percy, right?"

Zoë laughed. "Percy's different entirely. He far more dangerous and far more reckless. He causes more problems than he fixes. I would hardly call him fixed on greed and power. He's far more stupid and loyal than that."

Thalia decided to sit down. She sat across from her commander and waved a waitress over. She ordered a cup of black coffee, no sugar and no cream. Turning back to Zoë, she asked something that had been bothering her for years: "Then why do you not hate him? You seemed relieved when we told you that he'd survived his trip to the Far West."

"Don't get the wrong message, Thalia," Zoë said sternly. Then she sighed. "But I suppose it is how he is different that attracts me. He is a very intriguing and interesting character, and I kind of wish that he was a bit less bold. More so because I would actually enjoy him being a Hunter. Unfortunately, the boy is so incompetent that he can't even _handle_ a bow, not to mention shoot accurately."

"There's some history there, aside from bringing him that sword of his," Thalia guessed.

"It's an unimportant matter," the lieutenant of the Hunters said, waving her hands. "Onto more pressing matters, we have to deal with rebels in Auroris. There is a group of Enforcers, Border Guard and Kynigos that have enlisted the help of Auroris' populace for aid in a rebellion. They plan to overthrow the municipal government. The thing I fear is that the mayor might just be on their side."

"We've feared this for a long time," Thalia muttered grimly. "I don't think it's such a surprise."

"But it _is_ a problem, Thalia." Zoë rubbed her face angrily. "I have to deal with major rebellions up here, and I'm getting reports in from both State 6 and State 3 about anger and resentment for the burning of New York. Have we confirmed that it was a government-authorized operation?"

The daughter of Zeus shook her head. "No, we haven't. There's no evidence supporting it, and there's no evidence against it. It seems as though it was a verbal agreement, according to one of the spies we made contact with inside Olympus. She's a daughter of Hecate… um, Lou Ellen. She's kept tabs on the government for us before, but even she doesn't know the exact details of the arrangement. Ethan and Luke both have said that they wanted to quell the rebellion, although the claim from Luke is that Ethan misunderstood his orders. Lou Ellen transcribed the press conference he made earlier today and sent it to me. There's no sign of the reprimanding of the soldiers who attacked New York, yet he's putting in federal budget to pay for the damages, along with the money from the municipal governments in New York."

"So the taxpayer's money?" Zoë concluded.

Thalia nodded. "Yup."

"Anything else?"

"Like I said earlier, I haven't made any progress on the case with Katie. Her death is a mysterious one. I just have a bad feeling that we'll never solve the crime. At least we recovered her body… well, headless body, unlike so many of the disappearances over the past couple years."

"Annabeth said it started with the destruction of the SOF," Zoë said. "What do you think?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe it's just a continuation of May Castellan's followers. I mean, Luke didn't have much support, so people from his mother's government stepped in to aid him. Maybe they're using him to continue what May started."

"That is always a possibility," the lead Hunter mused.

They sat in silence for what seemed like eternity. Thalia wasn't sure what to talk about, and after her coffee came, she resorted to sipping on the drink quietly as time passed. Zoë stared absent-mindedly at the window, seemingly thinking deeply about something. Thalia wished that something would break the ice, like the arrival of an eagle or something along those lines. But nothing came.

Finally tired of the silence, she asked, "Zoë, why did you fall in love with Alcaeus?"

Just the utter of the name, broke Zoë out of her dream-like trance. She stared at Thalia coldly. "That is none of your business, daughter of Zeus. And if it was, I still wouldn't tell you."

"Why? You've told me about him before."

Zoë sighed. "Why do you want to know?"

"It might help me with my own feelings."

Zoë curled her lip in distaste. "Don't tell me you actually have feelings for Percy Jackson—"

Thalia shook her head. "No, it's not that. I never thought, and would never think, about Percy in that way, aside from maybe in my late pubescent period. And besides, he's like three years younger than me. He's more like annoying little brother or cousin or something like that. In fact, he _is_ my cousin… though not by blood."

"Then who?"

Thalia couldn't tell her. It just didn't seem right. Zoë already disliked thoughts of anyone besides Annabeth falling in love with Percy Jackson, not to mention a man she probably hated more than any other man she knew in Olympia. An uneasy feeling crept up her stomach as she fought herself to keep the name a secret.

"That's not important," she snapped. "Just… tell me why you fell in love with Alcaeus."

Zoë closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. She sat silent for ten seconds before she began her story. "I was stupid, young, naïve, impressionable… a whole list of negative adjectives basically. I had grown up with a criminal family and an abusive father. I never met my mother. I believe I have told you that before, am I correct?"

Thalia nodded. "Yeah."

Zoë continued: "Well, you see, I'm not sure if I've told you this, but my father was once a high-ranking officer in the gang Deu5 M0rti5. My sisters had all joined. I was the youngest girl by five years. The four sisters I had were each separated by two years, but I was an outlier. My father had me late. Handling a young kid while being a part of a gang, especially with his personality, didn't fit him. I was always left alone at the house with my older sisters, who all looked down on me simply because I wasn't born in line with their births. It wasn't my fault, but they blamed me instead of my father. They bullied and tortured me right from my infant-hood. Apparently, when I was two, my eldest sister tried to drown me. I survived when my father rescued me, and he punished my eldest sister. But the older I got, the stricter he became with me."

"How many horrible things have you endured?" Thalia couldn't stop the pity in her voice from bleeding out.

The lieutenant of the Hunters swallowed hard and glared at the daughter of Zeus. "Eventually, he began physically abusing me along with the verbal abuse he'd done throughout my childhood. Canes, sticks, swords… anything he could find, he would hit me with it. He threw a chair at me when I was six. Didn't bring me to a hospital. Forced me to tough it out. And eventually, I learned those things. I was sent to camp at age twelve. It was my chance to escape. I graduated at the top of my year but joined the Hunters. And it was because I was so driven to find someone who actually loved me… to find someone to love… that I fell in love so easily with Alcaeus. He was handsome and devious. I was the perfect prey for him. He gave me the opportunity to get revenge on my family, who had mistreated me for so long. I guess that's what really started me off with the killing.

"My sisters were raped and killed by Alcaeus' friends at my order. I killed my father with my own two hands. But in doing so, I broke a trainee rule: no killing, only observing. I begged my higher-up to mask the truth, and she did. A month later, I went to the party where my whole life changed. I realized that Alcaeus didn't love me, and I realized that I was weak and desperate. That's all there is to it."

Thalia blinked. "That's it?"

"What were you expecting?" Zoë turned back to face her papers. "I'm recounting a real-life story from the past. That means it's a memory. Don't expect me to act out every character and make up paragraphs of dialogue for them like it's some fantasy story or something."

"No, it's not that!" The daughter of Zeus felt disappointed. She kind of hoped Zoë would help give her encouragement and show her where she was wrong in loving Luke. But she called it naivety and idiocy. "I just—I was hoping for… for something positive to take out of it."

"Well, the only thing you'll get out of my story is how the world is cruel and sometimes you have to suck it up," Zoë grunted. "It isn't pretty. But that's the way the world works."

"You know, you're what I imagine Percy would be like if he were a tad less vengeful and more cynical," Thalia admitted. "What's the deal with the 'experience past trauma' thing making you and him so pessimistic? I guess I see why you get along with him, sort of. Well, at least you get along enough to give presents."

"That sword was an obligation. I found it. I had to return it to its rightful owner."

"A kid training in State 2?"

"Son of Poseidon."

"All right, fair enough."

"And about the trauma…" Zoë looked her dead in the eyes. Her volcanic blank eyes were darker than the night. "…sometimes remembering what happened makes you want to tear your eyes out, yank your teeth out, stab yourself. It's something you don't want to tell over and over again. Post-traumatic stress disorder. You hallucinate about the past and remember those events so clearly and vividly it feels as though they're happening again and again and again. Fortunately, I don't have PTSD, but I sure know what it feels like to be tortured, and it's not something I _ever_ want to go through again. And no matter how much I cry, I know it won't solve anything. So after I'm done weeping, I compose myself and keep walking forward. I'm sure Jackson would know what I'm talking about. Sometimes, you just feel like breaking down and giving up on life."

"It's that serious, huh?" Thalia couldn't seem to remember the night of the burning of New York. As much as she tried to pry into her memories, nothing seemed to come back to her. It was almost as if her brain and destroyed the memories to prevent her from any such feelings. "I hope he's okay though. He didn't take it too well when Annabeth told him New York had been burned to ashes."

"What was his reaction?"

"Surprisingly, he started crying. I know he found out Katie had died like a minute before, but I didn't expect him to cry. Then he got really angry and destroyed a marble table. He stormed out wanting to go to New York, and Annabeth told me to focus on our jobs as Hunters as she brought him to New York."

There was a sad smile on Zoë's face as Thalia recounted what she remembered.

"What's wrong?" Thalia asked.

The smile fell immediately. "Nothing."

Thalia opened her mouth to prod some more, but the gloomy look on her superior's face was enough to shut her up. She looked out the window into the cold, winter sky. "Sure, Zoë. All I hope is that Percy and Annabeth are okay."

Zoë's voice was quiet and soft. "So do I, Thalia. So do I."

* * *

><p>When Percy woke up, he was in an unfamiliar room. The room looked kind of barren for the comfort of the bed he was lying in.<p>

The blankets had been pulled up to his neck and were nice and thick. As soon as he threw back the covers, the cold, winter air rushed through his thin clothing. For a moment, Percy wondered why there was no fire when he realized that the window was open, and a cold breeze was blowing in.

He slipped out of bed and nearly tripped over the sleeping figure right at his feet. He stared at her in surprise. Annabeth was sleeping, tucked into her own blankets, on the ground. She looked uncomfortable, and Percy immediately felt guilty. It was his fault that she was sleeping on the ground, unless she was okay with sleeping on a single bed with him.

He took note of his surroundings.

The room was exactly as he thought it was initially: barren. All except for a bed, a table with a pen and some parchment paper, and a picture in a frame on the wall Annabeth's head was facing.

Deciding it would be easier if Annabeth was out of the way he gently picked her up and deposited her on the bed. She didn't wake, which was good for him, but at the same time, a part of him wanted her to wake up in his arms. He thought it would be amusing.

Annabeth looked so peaceful in her sleep. It was hard to imagine that over two years ago, they had left on a sour note. It was his fault, but he remembered that she seemed to think it was partially her fault for pressing so hard. He wanted to tell her how he felt—he wanted to apologize to her for everything irrational he'd done. But it happened two years ago. It shouldn't have really mattered.

Percy still couldn't believe how much time the Far West—no, Rome—and the Neutral Zone had taken out of his life compared to Olympia, where everything seemed to move as fast as the golden eagles. It took him from August to late October to get back to Olympia from San Francisco, but it took only three days for Katie to be murdered and his hometown city of New York to be burned down.

Percy felt tired and stiff, as if he'd rode on horseback for a good four hours yesterday.

In curiosity, he approached the picture frame and looked at the photo inside. He was stunned when he saw who was in the photo.

Standing in the center was a teenage Annabeth—maybe sixteen or seventeen—surrounded by a family Percy had never seen before. He always knew that she was from Richmond in State 3 and had family here, but she had never specified to him who exactly lived here. Her expression was nervous, as if she was not used to the attention her family was giving her. At her sides, standing at about her shoulders, were two young boys. They looked ten or eleven, and it was clear that they were twins. Each of them wore a devilishly wide grin and they were looking up at Annabeth with clearly malicious intent. Knowing _her_ mother was a goddess, Percy guessed that these boys were her step-brothers. To her right was her step-mother. She was a pretty oriental lady with red highlighted hair tied in a neat bun. And to Annabeth's left was a man who barely looked taller than his daughter. He was a handsome, athletic-looking, middle-aged man with sandy-coloured hair only a slight shade off from Annabeth's honey-blonde hair, and intense brown eyes.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Chase looked proud of their daughter (step-daughter, in Mrs. Chase's case), and it was clear that they were celebrating her becoming a Hunter. Percy wondered if this was Annabeth's personal room in the Hunters' headquarters. But then he remembered Zoë telling him she and Thalia were a part of the Kynigos, State 5's branch of the Hunters. They couldn't have possibly gone all the way from New York to Aeleos in what seemed like such a short period of time.

Then again, he rode Blackjack to New York. It wasn't impossible for the black horse to accomplish that feat.

There was a quiet knock on the door.

Percy went to open the door. When he saw who it was, he nearly yelped in shock. The man standing in the doorway was none other than the man in the photograph. It was… it was Annabeth's dad.

"Good morning," Mr. Chase said quietly.

Percy glanced back at Annabeth in the bed and went beet red. If Mr. Chase got the wrong idea…

"Don't panic, Percy," Mr. Chase said in a calm tone. "It's kind of you to put her in the bed after she slept on the floor last night."

The son of Poseidon breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, that? It's no problem. She shouldn't be sleeping on the floor anyway… wait a minute." The situation seemed to finally reach him. "What are you doing here? Does that mean… am I in your house?"

Annabeth's father extended a hand to shake. "I am Frederick Chase. Annabeth's told me a lot about you."

Percy shook it hesitantly. "I'm—I'm sorry for intruding on your property, Mr. Chase. But thank you for letting me stay over."

Frederick smiled. "My wife has made you a breakfast. If you like, you could come down and eat with us and let my daughter sleep. If not, I can bring up the food for you if you'd like."

He glanced back at Annabeth's sleeping figure. She looked exhausted. He felt guilty when he realized that she must have brought him here after he passed out in New York. She deserved some rest, and he figured he needed to pay her back for her kind actions. Besides, it would be nice to finally eat a full meal with actual commoners instead of people like him for once. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for him.

"Sure, I'll come with you. Just let me close the window."

He closed the window and kept the cold air out of the room. Annabeth seemed to relax into her sleep even further. He smiled faintly and turned to follow Mr. Chase.

He shut the door so the noise from downstairs wouldn't wake Annabeth.

Downstairs in the dining area, there was a large rectangular table with six chairs around it—two at the ends, and two on either side of the length. There were five plates in front of six of the chairs each with a very simple breakfast on them—pancakes, waffles and whipped cream. There was also a container tin full of syrup for the pancakes and assorted fruit on dishes in the center of the table. There were already three people at the table, and two twin boys were already scarfing down their first serving of food.

"Good morning, Percy," Mrs. Chase greeted. She was more beautiful in person than in the photo upstairs. "Your dish is across from Bobby."

It seemed as though everyone was already affiliated with him.

He sat down in his spot and began eating. As soon as he stuffed the first bite of his pancake in his mouth, one of the twins—the one sitting across from him; the one Mrs. Chase called Bobby—asked him, "Are you and Annabeth going to get married?"

He choked on his food, and immediately his brother chastised him. "Bobby, they're not getting married. It's obvious that they're just having sex. Talk about firsts for Annabeth… this guy doesn't seem like the kind to get attached to one girl."

Percy choked some more.

Mrs. Chase scolded the boys. "Cut it out with the inappropriate talk, boys. And don't be so rude to a guest."

"But he would totally love screwing Anna—" one brother started.

"—speaking from another guy's perspective, she's hot," the other brother interrupted.

"Matthew! Bobby!" Mrs. Chase looked really angry, and for a moment, he thought he wanted to duck in cover from her exploding rage.

"Sorry!" the twin boys said in unison, covering their heads. "We'll stop! We'll stop!"

"When you're done breakfast," Mr. Chase told his sons, "you two will dust the living room, water the plants even though it's the middle of winter, and find a way to apologize to your mother by dusk."

"Aw, come on!" they both whined.

It was a weird situation. Considering they were now five or six years older, Percy didn't find it so weird to hear them make such bold comments about sexual stuff. The thing that made him choke was the fact that they said it about Annabeth. He'd never met anyone bold enough to call their own sibling "hot," even if the excuse was that they were looking at it from another guy's perspective. They weren't wrong… but it was still weird.

"But you're at least dating her, right?" asked Bobby. He looked at his parents' stern looks and timidly squeaked out: "I mean that she's lonely sometimes. Every time she visits us, it's always about Thalia or other friends in the Hunters or you. And it's not like she's seen you much, right? You've never been here. The way she spoke about you, I didn't expect you to be so cool! Dad put all your weapons and stuff in his office, and he mentioned you had _poisons_. What are you?"

"First of all, I'm not dating Annabeth." He cleared that up first. "We barely know each other anymore. From the way you're acting, I assume she told you that we met in that orphanage in New York?" They nodded. He continued, "Okay, so that was a long time ago, and you know how she was stationed as a Hunter in State 5. Well, I made it into the SOF and we haven't seen each other much. I met her again a couple years back after the SOF was obliterated and I met her once again just a day or two ago. And the reason I have those poisons… well, I was an assassin."

"That's so cool!" Matthew and Bobby exclaimed simultaneously.

He looked at his food. "It's not as cool as you think. Being an assassin, that is."

"But you get to be really cool! I wish I made it through to the fourth year," Matthew sulked. He pointed at his brother. "This loser didn't even make it past halfway through the first year."

"You were in the year after Annabeth, right?" asked Bobby, ignoring his brother. "That means… you were in the top five with Elizabeth Edmonds! So cool. What's she like? Apparently, she's this really badass fighter and is really beautiful and smart and—"

Percy put down his fork and knife. "She's dead."

Bobby's face fell. "Oh."

"To be an assassin, you need a lot of mental strength, not only physical and emotional," he told them. "I fit well with the group because I could hold my head through tough times. But to tell you how much it was worth being a part of the SOF… even though I loved my time there… I'm the only one from my year in the top five who is still alive.

"Died of illness. Murdered. Murdered. Murdered."

Bobby and Matthew fell silent.

"Please enjoy your life," he told the boys. "Live it for the people you love. Live it for your friends. Don't waste it away. And make sure you help the world. Don't be a burden."

The rest of breakfast passed in silence. After he finished, he helped make Annabeth her breakfast and brought it up to the room. She was still sleeping, so he decided to write a letter. One thing that had weighed on his shoulders was whether Silena and Beckendorf were two of the five hundred thousand or not.

He wrote them a letter and whistled loudly for his eagle. It appeared in a flash. He tied the parchment paper to his eagle's leg and told it, "Search for Silena Beauregard and Charles Beckendorf… you know, the model and the blacksmith. If you find their scent and they're not alive, return to me with the letter, and I'll know."

The eagle screeched loudly, and Percy winced. Annabeth probably woke up from that. It took off into the sky faster than Percy could track with his eyes and disappeared into the clouds.

Looking down, Annabeth had one eye cracked open.

"Sorry about that," he apologized.

She shook her head drowsily. "I've been awake for a couple minutes already. Is that a letter to your friends from New York?"

He nodded.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "That's good. You're doing better."

"What about you?" he asked. "You slept on the floor for my sake? Don't you guys have a guest room or something?"

Annabeth blushed. "This _is_ our guest room. Once I moved out, I told my dad that I would give up my room for Matthew and Bobby. They would finally have different rooms, which is something I wondered why my dad never made room for when I ran away from home. I mean, I was gone for years. He should have thrown out my stuff. But, no, like a family that cared, he kept my room untouched. It's part of the reason why I made up with them."

"Your brothers thought some vaguely inappropriate things because of that," Percy said dryly. "If your parents weren't there, I would've probably choked to death."

"Well, it isn't like it's not possible," Annabeth muttered. "Just not likely. That's all."

Percy laughed. "I kind of feel hurt. You _are_ very beautiful, Annabeth. And you're smart and stuff. Eh, whatever. I guess that stuff doesn't matter right now. I'm only twenty-one. I got lots of time to find a girl I love."

"But you already have," Annabeth said. She looked up at him with curious grey eyes. "Or do you mean find _another_ girl to fall in love with?"

"Yeah," Percy admitted. "I mean finding _another_. Can we not talk about past loves, though? Kind of awkward considering the girl I loved is dead and the guy you loved was Thalia's boyfriend."

Annabeth snorted. "You ever get that situation when you love somebody who is someone else's, give up on them, and then they start hitting on you when you're not interested. You wouldn't believe how many times Luke's been hitting on me since he and Thalia broke up."

"Really?" Percy raised his eyebrows. "Then why'd you get all defensive over him?"

"He's a friend."

"An ass, more like it."

She sighed. "I guess I can't change your opinion."

"If he agrees with his mother's actions, I can't accept him," Percy told her.

"You still remember that? You said it two years ago."

"I don't forget important things."

"When's Thalia's birthday?"

"December twenty-second."

"When's my birthday?"

"July twelfth."

"What did we pinkie-promise when I left for the camps?"

"'We'll both be good at our jobs. We'll end up meeting and becoming good friends again.'"

Annabeth frowned. "Wait, that sounds like an exact quotation…" She raised her eyebrows, impressed. "Wow, I can't believe you actually remembered exactly what I said. I don't even remember that."

"Just kinda stuck I guess," Percy said with a shrug.

"So are those facts important to you or anything?" Annabeth asked, with a suggestive undertone.

He went red. "I just remember them, okay? It's not like they're that important to me."

The daughter of Athena laughed. "It's good talking with you again, Jackson. As annoying and obnoxious as you can be, I remember now how much fun it was hanging out with you. Arguing with you was my favourite pastime of my childhood, followed in a close second place by just talking in a conversational tone."

"You like talking. Wow, I never knew." Percy drew it out in a sarcastic drawl. "I guess you learn something new every day."

"Oh, shut up."

Both of them burst out in laughter. Percy wasn't sure why, after learning about such horrible tragedies, he was in Annabeth's home alone with her in a room laughing. He didn't find the conversation to be particularly funny, but the memories that resurfaced with the conversation reminded him of fun, carefree times: back when he had done everything he could to forget his past memories. And he knew that laughing was a good way to put aside painful memories. It had worked for his entire life.

Annabeth got up from her bed and went to eat her breakfast.

Percy silently watched her eat, which must have made her feel uncomfortable, but he didn't really care. He just wanted to watch her.

She glanced at him every couple of seconds, but continued on as if there was nothing wrong.

Percy opened his mouth to speak when there was a sudden flap of feathers behind him. For some reason, Annabeth's eyes widened and she darted toward the golden eagle that had just landed on the window sill.

"Annabeth?" Percy said in alarm.

"That's Thalia's eagle!" she cried back as she reached for the letter. Hastily, she unrolled the paper and read its contents. Her face went slack. "No no no no. Not now! This can't be happening!"

"What?"

Percy tried to look at the sheet of paper, but Annabeth ran to picture frame and knocked the photo off the nail. Behind it was as handle, and Annabeth yanked it down. Suddenly, a hidden door opened and inside was a bunch of weaponry and equipment—mostly bows and arrows but a variety of guns and swords and spears.

"I thought you said this was a guest room?!" Percy exclaimed. "What is a weapons cache doing in here?"

"I never said we got guests," she snapped back as she grabbed a handful of weapons. She turned to him and tossed him his equipment—his seax, his pugio, Anaklusmos, the bo-shuriken, the vials of poison—before closing the door and messily hanging the picture frame back on the nail.

"What the—?"

"My dad's a scientist working for the government," she explained quickly. "He's been doing experiments, has figured out how to make celestial bronze bullets, and has developed the world's first multi-shot handgun and the first double-barrel shotgun. Sad, because these things should have been discovered far earlier, but laws are laws, eh?"

"What's going on?" Percy demanded. He was strapping his belt on and putting his back scabbard over his shoulder. "Why are you in such a rush?"

She turned to him with a grim look. "Aeleos… They're going to rebel. If we don't stop them… they'll meet the same fate as New York."

* * *

><p><strong>With the my story's gone so far, I think you can guess what's going to happen. At the time of posting, I'd like to wish a happy 2015 to all viewers east of the Middle East and a happy New Year's Eve to those in Europe, Africa, islands in the Atlantic, the Americas, and countries between the International Time Line and the west coast of North America. Happy New Year! (According to the Gregorian Calendar!)<strong>

**Thanks for reading, don't forget to review!  
>SharkAttack719<strong>


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